


Ten

by FandomFeels17



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, But best to be safe, Canon Compliant, Just a Mention, Kidnapped, Larry are free, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self Harm, Stockholm Syndrome, Suspected Overdose, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-04 17:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 48,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13369935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomFeels17/pseuds/FandomFeels17
Summary: A lot can change in ten years... However it only takes a second for your world to flip back upside down...





	1. Chapter 1

 

* * *

 

 

It was a normal day.

Like nothing had changed.

She stood on the top of the steps, bared foot and in a night dress that look like an elderly woman would wear. Her bare feet were black and calloused. Slowly walking down the down the steps, she looked around, before staring back at the black door.

She was free.

After ten years, she was actually free.

She looked down the street and took off running. Down streets and side streets, she saw a phone box in the distance. She pushed herself harder and faster, running out into the road without looking, almost getting hit by a car.

Despite stumbling slightly, she managed to avoid the car with a hairs breath between them. She rushed towards the phone box, flinging herself in and grabbing the phone. Dialling the emergency services she waited for it to connect.

'999, Which services would you be requiring?'

'Police!'

'Putting you through to an operator.' Lottie ran a hand through her hair, breathing a sigh of relief. 'Hello, London City Police-'

'This is Charlotte! Charlotte Elizabeth Tomlinson. I was abducted ten years ago when I was eight! But I'm free now and I need help! Please, help me. Please!'

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

* * *

 

 

Charlotte watched as the scenery rolled by. The city was alive with people rushing back to work from their lunch break, tourist people trying to figure out where about they were. She looked in awe at the new stores and tall buildings. She always wanted to live in London when she was younger, it was a city that seemed alive with work opportunities. Even at her young age, she knew what she wanted in life. 

The crackle of a police radio made her jump. 'Go ahead, 5191'

'Pulling up at London City Police Station. Er, pick up of a white female, still claiming to be missing girl, Charlotte Elizabeth Tomlinson.'

Charlotte looked blankly at the police officer when he glanced at her through the rear view mirror.

Eventually, the police car was slowing to a stop, and she blinked as a young woman appeared in her eyesight. Shifting back from the window, Charlotte curled in on herself, her thumbs twisting round each other.

The woman gently opened the door, a kind smile on her face. 'Hello, Charlotte.' she greeted, as Charlotte slowly unbuckled and climbed from the car. 'I'm Ali, I'll be your Family Liaison Officer. Does that sound okay?'

Charlotte looked at her blankly, before nodding. The cold air was making her shiver, as she gazed up at the police station.

'I'll take it from here.' Ali told the policeman, gently, before shutting the door to the car and turning to head up the steps into the police station, Charlotte headed up the steps slowly, following Ali inside the warm building...

* * *

 

Charlotte sat on the table as DNA was swabbed from her mouth and a piece of her hair was swiped and packed away into sealed evidence bags. Even a clip of her toenails was clipped away. The dress that adorned her body was gently slipped from her bruised and scarred body and slipped into an evidence bag, before everything was sent away for DNA testing.

She sighed as she was handed a white crime scene suit. She slipped into the suit and zipped it up, catching sight of herself in the mirror. Her pale skin was pale as can be after years of been locked away. She almost blended into the suit. 

A knock at the door startled her and she stumbled slightly, before Ali poked her head round the door, a gentle smile on her face. ‘I’ll take you to the interview room. Standard procedure.’ 

Charlotte nodded and slowly exited the room, following Ali down a few corridors and into a room, that looked as bleak as she felt. She saw a comfy looking sofa and headed towards it. Pulling the suit sleeve over her hand, she wiped the seat before sitting down. 

Ali smiled and closed the door behind them, the slam echoing through the room. ‘NO!’ Charlotte shrieked. ‘Please. Please leave it open...’ she asked, in a small voice.

Ali nodded, still slightly startled from Charlotte's shriek. ‘Only until the police are here. They’ll close it then for procedure and privacy.’

Charlotte nodded, watching as the door re-opened and she was face with a long hallway, seemingly going on forever...

* * *

 

Unaware to Charlotte, the large mirror in the room was actually a rouse. On the other side of the wall, sat two detectives watching her closely. One of them was holding two photos, one of Charlotte shortly before she disappeared and one of them a digital image of what she could look like now.

‘Look the photos. She looks nothing alike.’

‘People do grown into their looks over time, you know!’

‘Yeah, cause you’re a lovely swan aren’t you?’ 

The male police officer smirked, resting his elbow on the arm of his chair. ‘I’m going to overlook your sarcastic tone and take that as a compliment.’

His colleague looked over at him, her eyes sparkling. ‘The last you’ll get from me.’

He chuckled, before he leaned forward. ‘The year after Charlotte was snatched, two girls came forward claiming to be her and neither of them checked out.’ He glanced at his colleague. ‘To pretend to be her after all these years... To be that cruel to her family... I don’t know, some humans are shit, granted... But surely, they wouldn’t keep this up for years, would they?’

The door opened and their boss stepped into the room, eyeing them both curiously. 'What do you think? Do you think it's her?'

'You can't pretend to be someone for this long, no way.'

'What's the precedent?' the male officer asked

His boss nodded to the window. 'If that really is Charlotte Tomlinson, there's no precedent to follow.' he told them, before leaving the room.

'Let's do this...'

* * *

 

Charlotte looked around the room, twiddling her thumbs. The FLO was still in the room, making it slightly awkward as neither of them spoke. The door to the room opened and Charlotte stiffened as two people entered, looking slightly intimidating.

Her back straightened as they sat in front of her, dressed in plain clothes, which made her wish she had her own clothing. The male officer opened a blank case, popping a CD into the recorder. 'It's okay.' The male officer said, catching Charlotte's terrified expression. 'This is just to record what happens in here. The same goes for the four cameras in each corner of the room. It's called a ABE interview...'

Lottie looked at them both, blankly, the words washing over her head. 'My family. I want to see them. I need to see them.' she inquired, quietly.

The female officer looked at her partner before looking back at the younger girl. 'We know you do. We understand, but let's just get this out of the way and then we'll sort that out, okay?' she told Charlotte softly,  offering the clearly terrified girl a soft smile.

Charlotte moved her head from side to side, watching as the male officer leaned to pressed play on the recorder. 'I'm Detective Sergeant Carly Moxam, warrant number 430. In the room with me is..'

'Detective Inspector Liam Stabler, warrant number 314.' Liam announced clearly.

'We're here to interview a female who alleges she's a missing person for the last ten years.' Carly looked at Charlotte. 'Can you please state your name for the purpose of the tape?' she asked.

Lottie frowned. 'Alleged?' she questioned, looking between the two officers, hurt showing on her face. They didn't believe her?

Carly glanced at Liam, before looking back at Charlotte. 'We have to prove who you say you are, I'm afraid it's not all that straight forward.' She leaned forward slightly, watching as Charlotte leaned back. 'Can you please state your name?' 

Charlotte looked down at the table, frowning as though she was confused about something, before she looked back at Carly. 'Charlotte Elizabeth Tomlinson.'

Carly smiled, as she finally got an answer. 'Your date of birth?'

'August 4, 1998.'

Carly winced as she asked the next question. 'What was the date when you were abducted?'

Lottie froze, her blue eyes going wide as she looked away, her hands shaking. 'Ah, don't worry about it.' Liam told her. 'I'm crap with dates too. Don't worry about it.' He smiled reassuringly at her, before going on to speak. 'What about where you were held?' Lottie looked at him, her thumb appearing through a hole she had made in the suit that adorned her body. Images flashed through her head of the rooms she caught a glimpse of all them years ago, before she was pushed into the cellar, shuddering as she remembered the tumble she took as he pushed her down the stone steps of the cellar.

‘If you could voice it out loud?’ Carly prompted, gently.

Charlotte looked back at Carly. ‘I don’t know. A house.’

Carly opened her mouth to speak, but Liam squeezed her knee warningly. Charlotte caught the action and frowned, wondering what he was doing and why he did that. ‘What type of house was it? Do you know? How many room did it have?’

Charlotte blinked up at Liam, her eyes landing on him. ‘I only ever saw one.’

‘Which one?’

Charlotte sighed. ‘The cellar.’ she answered tiredly. 

‘How... How were you kept down there?’ Liam asked, carefully.

Charlotte unintentionally clutched her wrist, the phantom feeling of rope and chains suddenly appearing on her skin. ‘Chained up...’ she choked out, shakily, her eyes never leaving Liam’s face.

Liam swallowed as he caught the action that Charlotte did. Loosening his tie a little bit, he swallowed before speaking. ‘If you were chained up... How did you get out this time?’

Charlotte sniffled. ‘If I was a good girl, he wouldn’t... wouldn’t tie me up...’ She looked off into the distance, just past Liam’s shoulder. ‘He didn’t do the lock up. That's how I got out.’

Liam and Carly glanced at each other. ‘’He’ being?’

‘Paul... No last name.’ she answered the unspoken question before Liam or Carly could open their mouths.

Just then, a knock sounded throughout the room. Carly looked over her shoulder to find her boss beckoning her out of the room. Just as she was about to switch the recorder off, Charlotte spoke again. 'I am Charlotte Tomlinson. I would never lie about who I am...' she told them.

Carly glanced at Liam, before placing her finger on the pause button. 'Interview paused at 1.32pm.' she announced, before she paused the interview and got up from her seat, heading out of the room to her boss. Once Liam had closed the door behind him, he looked to his boss. From his face, it didn't look good.

'Someone has leaked it to the press that Charlotte Tomlinson has been found. For the love of god, let the family know through us and not the media!'

Carly ran a hand a through her hair. 'Do we know who leaked it?'

'Someone on our side. Believe me, I will have their head for this!' her boss growled before walking away, leaving the DS and DI in the hallways.

'So... Whose making the phone call?' Liam asked...

* * *

 

_'Mum, it was bloody fantastic! He went flying! Windmill arms and everything!'_

_**'It was not bloody fantastic! My bum really hurts!'** _

_'Harold! Not in-front of my mother. She doesn't need to know about-'_ Louis Tomlinson suddenly disappeared from the computer screen as Harry shoved him off the bed. 

Johannah Deakin laughed as her son and son in law squabbled on the computer screen. 'Hey, boys! When am I going to see you? Hopefully soon.' she told them firmly, meaning the right answer was soon or nothing.

Harry grunted as Louis koala- hugged him from behind before smiling. 'We'll be home soon, I promise. Got another week of tour and then two week break, I think. We'll be home for that.' 

Johannah smiled at Harry. 'My perfect boys. I look forward to it. Now, it must be past midnight where you are. So, I'm going to let you go...'

Louis pouted over Harry's shoulder. 'Okay. I love you.'

Johannah smiled brightly. 'I love you too, my precious boy.'

'What about me?' Harry asked, ruining the little moment perfectly, wincing when Louis hit him upside on the head.

Johannah giggled. 'I love you too, H' she replied, smiling at the bright smile that erupted on Harry's face. She waved before signing off of Skype, watching the screen go blank.

She hated that her first born was so far away, but he was making his dreams come true, so she couldn't blame him. Just as she had finished pouring herself a cup of tea, the phone rang. Sighing, she headed towards the phone. 'Hello. Johannah speaking...' she greeted into the receiver.

The cup of tea that was clutched into her hand, slid from her grasp and shattered onto the floor... 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note : Mark is Louis' biological father in this! And there's four years age difference between Louis and Lottie... Just to clear up any confusion :)

 

* * *

 

Mark Tomlinson wasn't one for getting calls from his ex wife. Especially since said ex wife hadn't spoken to him in nearly seven years. The only reason he knew Johannah had his contact details was if something ever happened to Louis or any news appeared about Charlotte. Thinking it was about the former, he answered.

'Johannah?'

The line was silent for a few seconds. 'Mark...' Johannah choked out, not trusting her voice any further.

'Johannah?' he knew it was something important if Johannah couldn't speak. 'What's happened? Is it Louis? Is he okay?' he fretted, shrugging off his new wife's hands rubbing his back.

'They've found a girl... She's turned up at London City Police Station claiming to be...' Johannah's voice shook. 'I need you with me for this!'

Mark shot up from his sofa, reaching for his jacket. 'Is it her?' 

'They say it could be... They've taken DNA and her birth date matches hers.' 

'I'll pick you up. See you in half an hour.' Mark told her, before hanging up and turning to Charley, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. 'I think... I think Charlotte's turned up.' Mark slid his coat on and quickly pressed a kiss to his wife's lips. 'Keep your phone on and do not tell anyone!' he called, as he rushed from the front door and out to his car, his mind and thoughts going a thousand miles an hour.

* * *

  

The drive down to London from Doncaster was tense and quiet, both adults lost in their own minds about what awaited them at the Police Station. 

'Do you think it's her?'

Mark glanced at Johannah out of the corner of his eye. 'I'm not getting my hopes up.' he told her, watching as she nodded. 'Have you told Louis?' he asked.

Johannah shook her head. 'I'm not putting him through that. Until it's confirmed it's Charlotte, he's not getting a word of this.' she spoke firmly, before they fell into silence again.

Pulling up at the Police Station, fear suddenly gripped Johannah tightly. Heavy breaths suddenly filled the car as she gripped the door handle of the car. Mark frowned. 'Johannah? Johannah?' he placed a hand on her shoulder, before realising she was having a panic attack. 'Shit. Johannah, breathe with me! In.' He drew in a deep breath, waiting for Johannah to breathe in. 'And out.' Mark breathed out and nodded at Johannah to do the same. 'That's it.' he encouraged as she did as he instructed. After a few rounds of breathing exercises, Johannah felt calm enough to leave the car. 

Taking a deep breath and focusing herself, she climbed from the car, quickly rushing inside the station, heading straight for the desk. 'I'm here for Charlotte Tomlinson. I'm her mother, Johannah Deakin.'

'And I'm her father, Mark Tomlinson.' Mark added on, as Johannah fell silent. 

The desk sergeant picked up the phone, speaking to someone on the other end before placing it back on the receiver. 'If you could just take a seat over there, someone will be with you in a moment.'

Johannah smiled tightly. 'I've been in a car for three hours, I'll stand.' she told the desk sergeant, before walking away, and running her hands through her hair, a thing Louis had picked up whenever he was nervous, as well...

* * *

 

Carly rested her head against the wall next to the room Charlotte was in. After a few phone calls and colourful threats, which she was bound to get pulled up on, the press had decided not to run the story about Charlotte being found until the Police gave the go ahead.

'That was amazing!' Liam laughed from besides her, his hand squeezing the back of her neck, making her groan appreciatively. 

'Don't miss me when I'm gone..' she joked with a smile, before she took a deep breath and turned to Liam. 'The Mum and Dad are here. Let's do this.' she said, before she entered the room with Charlotte in. She watched as Charlotte swallowed the salvia in her mouth and straighten her back out. 'If you could come with us, please, Charlotte...'

Charlotte shakily got to her feet, glancing at Ali, who nodded reassuringly at her, getting to her feet as well, to follow her. Stepping forward, Charlotte stepped out into the gloomy looking corridor, following Carly and Liam slowly down to the waiting room at the front of the station.

'Oh, my baby!' Charlotte was startled to suddenly find herself with an armful of Johannah, clinging onto her tightly. Tears soaked her neck as her mum cried, feeling herself tense as her Dad hugged her and Mum tightly. Charlotte awkwardly patted her Mum, as she pulled away slightly from the hug. 'It's okay, baby girl. It's okay... I promise you, it's all okay now...'

Liam, Carly and Ali watched the scene unfold in-front of them. 'We'll wait for DNA to be on the safe-' Liam started to say to Carly, however Johannah cut him off.

'She's my daughter!' Johannah suddenly snapped, loud and clear, her hands stroking her daughter's hair gently and lovingly.

Liam nodded quickly. 'Of course, Ms Tomlinson, but... We want to find her kidnapper as soon as possible, we have to ask your daughter a few more questions...'

As the family gently broke the hug, Johannah gazed at Liam, pleadingly. 'Right now? When I just have her back?'

'I'm afraid so...' Liam answered, shifting slightly on his feet.

Johannah sighed. 'Then, can I stay with her?' she asked, feeling her daughter's eyes on her.

'Mummy, it's okay...' Charlotte whispered, just loud enough for Johannah to hear, before she turned to Liam and Carly again. 'I can do this.' She looked back at her Mum. 'I can... Mum...' she whispered, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, before she frowned with a sense of overwhelm. This morning, she was waiting for another day in her cellar, now she was back in her mother's arms, her skin wet with her mum's tears...

* * *

 

After deciding to let Liam handle Charlotte, with her helping him find her captor's house with the use of technology, Carly had decided to talk to Johannah and Mark together in a family waiting room. '... So, then, the next step would be-'

'Do you know what happened? That day?' Mark interrupted Carly, his gaze on the floor, avoiding the eyes of his ex wife.

Johannah sighed in annoyance at Mark's interruption. 'And the next stage would be? What?' she prompted Carly to continue what she was saying before she was interrupted.

'When this part of the interview is done, Charlotte will need to see another female doctor-'

'What for?' 

'MARK! Let the woman speak!' Johannah snapped, angrily, as she rounded on him. Mark avoided her fierce gaze, breathing deeply through his nose. 

Carly glanced at the two of them, the tension between the parents tense and off balance. She handed Johannah a leaflet. 'For family support groups. If you decide you want to see a psychiatrists, or psychotherapists to help with sudden-'

'No! There'll be no need for that.' Johannah stated firmly, her arms crossing firmly over her chest.

Carly bit her bottom lip, not wanting to get on the wrong side of Johannah. 'Besides the shock that you're in now, the options are there, also to help with Charlotte's readjustment...'

Johannah sniffled. 'Yeah, I remember. Maintain everything as it was before the vic...' she sighed deeply, shaking her head. 'My son is on a world tour. He can't everything to just come home. And I'm married to someone else now! I can't have my ex and my husband under one roof!'

Carly held out her hand, stopping Johannah in her rant. 'Listen...' she sighed lightly. 'Just sit down and make sure that she knows that you both love her. I'm sure it'll be hard for her to understand at first, but as long as she knows she's still loved by you both...' Carly fell silent, leaving the sentence unspoken, knowing that Johannah and Mark knew what she was talking about.

'Could we... Have a minute? Please?' Johannah asked, knowing that she needed to speak to Mark before they could take their daughter home. Carly nodded and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her. Johannah looked at Mark closely, bracing herself for her husband's wrath when she got home. 'You can visit.' she told Mark, speaking through her teeth. 'But we put on a front. For her sake. For our daughter!'

Mark frowned. 'How are you going to explain the Dan part?'

'I'll handle that. All I care about is making sure our daughter knows that just because her parents are broken up and in new relationships, they don't love her any less.'

* * *

 

In the technology lab, Charlotte was sat at a sleek black desk, next Liam and a computer and a map.

'So, Charlotte... How long from leaving the house to making your 999 call... How long would say it was?' Liam asked, gently.

Charlotte frowned. _How was the hell would she know?_ 'I don't know...'

'Does five minutes seem fair?' Liam asked.

Charlotte knew she was a fast runner. She and Louis used to have races back from school and she would always beat him back to the house before him. A light smile appeared on her face, as she nodded at the time estimate, watching as Liam nodded and used a compass to circle an area, before typing something into the computer. 'You're doing great, Charlotte. Really, really great...' he assured her, smiling warmly at her.

'Thank-you.' It was quiet, but Liam still heard it.

Clearing his throat, he got back down to business. 'The house? What was it like?' Like, was it a house by itself? or a Terrance house?' At Charlotte's nod, he double checked. 'Terrance?' A nod. 'Okay, good! Very good...' Typing something into the computer, Charlotte watched as a street appeared on the screen. 'Now, anything that made the house stand out? Like a distinctive mark or something?'

'The door was black... With a crack up the front.' 

Liam nodded, as he clicked on the arrow on the screen, watching as the street turned clockwise on the screen, spotting when a black door appeared on the screen. He sighed when Charlotte shook her head. 'Okay... Was their anything else outside the house? A gate or anything?' 

'A blue gate with a number on the wall...'

Liam nodded and clicked on the screen again, stopping when Charlotte took a sharp breath in. He turned his head to see her looking white as a sheet, and starting to shake, but nodding frantically before the question could form in his mouth. Grabbing his Police radio, Liam spoke. 'Request firearms. Location found!'  

* * *

 

With Liam and Carly having gone with the Firearms and Response team, Charlotte was taken to see a nurse for a final round of tests, before she could be let go. Currently, she was sat in the toilet cubicle, going over a memory. Her Mum and Dad were there to greet her at the station, but her brother wasn't. The one person she wanted to see, wasn't there. Was he dead? Was he simply at work? Did he have a family? Kids? She shook her head as the thoughts began to overwhelm her. Sighing, she exited the cubicle, catching sight of herself in the mirror. 

She grimaced, before spotting the sink. Heading over to she frowned as she saw no taps. _Where the hell are they?_ She thought, placing her hand on the sink, jumping back as the water suddenly blasted to life. Getting her breathing under control, she washed her hands, scratching harshly at the back of them, wanting to get the grime of the cellar off her body.

As she stepped from toilets, she was greeted by Ali holding something. As they headed up the corridor, Ali handed Charlotte a blue Adidas jacket. 'Your Mum thought you might like this... You probably want some of your own home comforts.'

Charlotte took the soft material in her hands, her finger trailing over the fabric. 'Like a present?' she asked, innocently, like a little girl curious about something she had discovered. 

Ali looked taken aback at Charlotte's question, but nodded. 'Your Mum says it's your brothers. She had in the car from when he was last home.' she told her softly.

Charlotte gazed at the fabric some more, before bringing it to her face and sniffing it softly, smiling as Louis' scent greeted her senses. Pulling it over her white suit that she was still in, she looked at Ali. 'Thank-you...' she told her, cutely, awkwardly patting Ali on the arm as a token of appreciation. 'Did my mum say where he was?' she asked, timidly, as they continued walking.

Ali shook her head. 'No, but I'm sure your Mum will tell you if you ask her.' 

Lottie nodded. 'I jus thought... I just thought he'd be here, that's all...'

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

* * *

 

Louis was sat out on the sun loungers of the hotel balcony, drinking beer from the bottle. He was staring up at the night sky, alone with his thoughts. Which was a bad combination, if the four other empty bottles scattered around him said anything. He sighed as he drained the last drop, placing it on the floor next to him, before reaching for another bottle.

'Think you've had enough, don't you?' 

Louis watched as Harry grabbed the last two bottles and held them out of his reach. 'Give me them, Harry.' Louis told him, emotionless. 

Harry shook his head, placing the beers on the table inside their hotel room, before sitting behind him on the sun lounger. 'I know what you're doing, Louis. It's the same every year.' 

'And every year I get blackout drunk to deal with this week! And until she's found, Harry, that's not going to change!' Louis snapped, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

Harry sighed. 'Louis...'

Louis got to his feet, already knowing the speech that was about to spill from Harry's mouth. 'Don't, Harry. I can practically recite it, word to word.' Stumbling back into the hotel room, Louis eyed the beers and made his way over to them, grabbing the last two from the packaging. He didn't know what percentage of alcohol the beers were, but he already feeling buzzed. The beers suddenly found themselves smashed against the wall, as Harry grabbed them from Louis' grasp and flung them against the wall, the sound of glass smashing making Louis jump. 'Are you mad?! What the fuck was that for?' Louis shouted, rounding on his husband.

'I'm not having you destroying yourself, not this year!' Harry shouted back. 'If you need a way to cope with your emotions, write them down!'

'I'm not you, Haz! That shit doesn't work for me!' 

'THEN, TRY SOMETHING ELSE!' Harry screamed, loosing his temper. 'Every year, you drink yourself in oblivion and I'm left to pick up the mess. Don't even get me started on last year-'

'Do not!' Louis screeched, pointing his finger at him. 'Do not try and guilt trip me, Harry Edward Tomlinson!'

Harry ignored him, barrelling on. 'You took a fucking overdose, Louis! I still don't know what set you off that day, but coming home from hanging out at Nick's, to seeing you sprawled at the bottom of the stairs with a pool of blood coming from your head, gripping an empty pill bottle and a vodka bottle smashed to pieces besides you... is something I don't ever want to fucking repeat!' Louis was shaking by the time Harry fell silent. He can still remember how furious Harry and Johannah were, when he came round in the hospital bed. He very narrowly avoided a breakup that night. 'Please, baby...' Harry voiced cracked, as he stepped forward and gathered Louis up in his arms. 'Please, don't us all through that again! Please... Just try writing your thoughts down again? Or something else... Talk to Helen again..' Harry suggested, referring to Louis' therapist.

'They're my problems-'

'She's here to help you, baby!' Harry stroked Louis' hair, peppering kisses over his husbands face. 'Please...'

An idea struck Louis' mind. Placing his hands on his husbands chest, he pushed Harry onto the bed, a smirk playing on his lips. 'Use something else to help with my pain?' he questioned, toying with the waistband of his sweatpants.

Harry shoved them away. 'Not me, Louis.' He turned his head avoid his husbands lip, feeling a growl on his neck.

'You said use something else other than alcohol. Would you rather me empty the mini bottles in the fridge, because I promise you, I will do it... And then imagine the headlines in the papers if someone from the hotel went to papers with photo evidence...'

* * *

 

Charlotte was sat back in the room where Carly and Liam had first interviewed her, with Ali sat opposite her, smiling every time Charlotte looked at her. A plate of sandwiches sat on the table, along with a jug of water with two glasses. Charlotte sighed, looking at Ali's slightly swollen stomach. 'You should eat...'

Ali smiled and shook her head. 'This is for you. You must be hungry..'

Charlotte shook her head. 'There's no fish for you though. You need to eat two portions a week, one oily.' She frowned at her statement before looking at Ali's stomach. 'The oil is good for the baby.' 

Ali blinked at Charlotte's sudden statement. Glancing down at her stomach, she smiled. 'I'll bear that...' She trailed off, her eyes slowly dragging back up to Charlotte. 'Charlotte, how do you know that?' 

'I read it in a book. And I also used to eat it...' Charlotte replied, her eyes glassed over, before a frown marred her face. 'Until he didn't give me it anymore...' She sighed and pouted lightly. 'Which was a shame because it was quite lovely for a short time. A nice change from the usual.' 

Ali was terrified of the answer, but she asked her question anyway. 'What... What was the... What did you normally eat?' 

'Cold tomato or vegetable soup. Cold. From the can.' she locked eyes with Ali. 'No spoon.' she said, void of any emotion.

* * *

 

Johannah sighed as Mark dropped her off outside Harry and Louis' house. 'I'll call you when they're dropping her off.' she told him, her voice neutral. 

'Shouldn't we talk about this together? About whether we take her back to Doncaster? She's going to freak if she comes in here and see-'

'We'll explain some of it here, when she's released from the police station! Away from Dan and Charley! And then, we'll go back to Doncaster.' Johannah told him, firmly. Grabbing her bag, she climbed from the car and headed up to the electronic, key padded high gate. Typing in the passcode, Johannah pushed the gate open slightly, slipping through and pushing it shut, quickly and securely before heading up the pathway to the empty house. Fishing out her key from her bag, Johannah unlocked the front door and stepped inside, slamming it shut behind her.

The intercom buzzed next to her. 'Johannah? Johannah? Let me in, you know we need to talk about this!'

Johannah could feel her emotions spinning out control. Slamming her hand down on the buzzer to allow Mark onto the property, she rushed for the kitchen. Wrenching open the alcohol cupboard open, she grabbed the bottle vodka she knew Harry had in there. Unstopping the bottle, she took one single swig from it, before placing the bottle back, feeling her emotions straighten themselves out, as the front door opened and closed again.

'Wow!' 

Johannah rolled her eyes and made her way into the spacious living room, watching as Mark entered the room, his gaze on the wall of photos, made up of Louis and Harry, their sisters, Anne and Robin, and, of course, Niall and Liam from throughout the years. The Rio selfie standing proud near Harry and Louis' wedding photo with their Mums. ' Was it a good day?' he asked, looking over at Johannah as he referred to his sons wedding day.

'Never seen him look so handsome. It was a beautiful day...'

Mark nodded once and plastered a smile on his face, although Johannah knew he was hurt about the fact that Louis hadn't invited him to the wedding. After all, he hadn't spoken to his Dad since Mark had walked out on Johannah just before Louis left for The X Factor house.

'Can we just... Get to the topic on hand?' Johannah asked, moving up the sofa and allowing Mark to sit down on the L shaped sofa. Once he sat down, Johannah spoke. 'Okay. We're not together anymore. You can come over during the day to spend time with her, or I can... I can come over to yours with her...'

Mark nodded. 'Whichever is comfortable with her.'

'Do I tell her the real reason we split? Or fabricate it? Or, better yet, let you tell her?'

Mark glared at his ex. This was the longest he had spent with her in seven years. 'We fabricate it.' He told her, through clenched teeth. 'Until she's comfortable enough in our presence to trust us again and then we'll tell her the truth.'

Johannah sighed. 'What about Louis?' 

'What about him?'

Johannah glared. 'He's due back next week. Do I tell him now, over the phone or do I wait till he's home?'

Mark shrugged. 'You know my son better than me. I can't even remember the last time he said hello to me.' Mark shook his head, looking round the room. 'I mean, look around, I'm not even in one photo.' 

'Well, he did walk in on you fucking someone else in our bed...' Johannah said flippantly. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 'One Direction? Do I tell her, or should I let Louis do it? It'll sound better coming from Louis, wouldn't it? Do I tell her he's married? But that might make her upset that she missed a milestone in his life? Would it feel like he's forgotten about her?'

Mark knew what Johannah was doing. She was starting to panic, and with her panicking came rambling. 'Johannah, please... Just, come here.' Pulling his ex in for a hug, he felt all of her emotional walls break. Tears stained his shirt as she broke down, tears of overwhelmingness, shock and happiness all formed a soggy patch on his shirt as he held her, a few of his own stray tears slipping down his cheeks as well.

A loud shrill sounded through the air, Johannah pulling away from the hug to fish her mobile from her bag, finding the Police Station calling. 'Hello, Johannah Deakin.' She greeted. She listened to the other person on the other end of the phone before hanging up, Mark watching her closely.

'Well?' he asked, when she didn't speak up.

'The DNA came back as Charlotte'. 

* * *

 

Back with Charlotte, she was sat in an interrogation room. A steel table, with three chairs and a window for the only source of light. Liam and Carly were sat opposite her, their expressions unreadable, which worried her.

'Charlotte, when we went to the address that you provided to us, CSI and myself found something very interesting. Now, you told us you only ever saw one room in the house, the cellar...' Liam said, glancing at Carly before continuing. 'Yet, we found clothing of your size and this...' he told Charlotte, pulling out a torn in half passport sized photograph, taken recently. 'This means you did see other rooms and you were allowed out of the house...'

Carly intervened as Charlotte's head bowed, her blue eyes fixed on her lap. 'Charlotte, it's easy to get things muddled. I do it most of the times, mostly with Liam's coffee's orders from Starbucks just to annoy him...' She joked, however the smile fell from her face, as neither party laughed or smiled. Clearing her throat, she got serious again. 'Did you ever leave the cellar, Charlotte?' A very subtle nod came from the girl. 'And the house? Did you ever leave the house?' Charlotte stayed silent and still this time. Carly sighed. 'Was he planning on taking you away? The passport photo...' she trailed off as Charlotte shook her head, minutely. 'Did he ever take you out and about?'

Charlotte was silent for a few seconds, before speaking in a small voice. 'Once. Just once.'

Carly's mouth dropped open in surprise and looked back at Liam, who was reclining in his chair, allowing Carly to do her job. 'Do you want to tell us what happened? Where you went? What you did?'

Charlotte shrugged. 'There were lots of people. Everywhere.'

Carly sighed. 'Charlotte, if there were lots of people around, why didn't you communicate with someone? About the situation you were in?'

Liam nudged her sharply, as Charlotte's head shot up, hurt blazoning in her eyes. 'You're thinking I should have told someone, aren't you?' she asked, her voice hard and bitter. 'Why I didn't I run? That this is all my fault?'

Liam shook his head, quickly wanting to keep the peace. 'No one is thinking that, Charlotte!'

'She is!' Charlotte nodded to Carly. 'It's written clear as day on her face!' she accused, her eyes narrowing at Carly, her trust in her diminishing. Sighing, she ran a hand through her long brown hair. 'I want to go home now.'

Liam winced. 'We have a lot more questions to ask..'

Charlotte looked close to tears. 'Why can't you do that at my house? In my home comforts?' A tear trickled down her cheek. 'I've been kept from my home for ten years. And I'm finally free. Please, let me go home.' she begged, tears marking her cheeks as they fell.

'In here, we can keep an eye on you, make sure no one is corrupting you into saying something that isn't true. We can keep an eye on you here and give you everything you need.'

'I need to my Mum!' Charlotte's voice was the strongest it had been in years. 'I... I want to go home. I've spend years trapped down there, wishing for my brother to hold me, for my Mum to look after me while I'm sick, for my Dad to play football with me... Please...' she pleaded, allowing a tear to fall. 'Let me go home... Can't we continue the questions there?'

Carly sighed. 'Charlotte, if we take you home, security measures are going to have to be taken at your house, to ensure your safety.' She told her, firmly.

Charlotte looked hopefully. 'But, I can go back? Go home?' she asked, her eyes shining with hope.

Liam couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face at Charlotte's reaction. 'Yeah... Yeah, you could...' he told her, softly and gently, before looking at Carly. 'We'll finish the questions here. Then, once we've sorted everything out on the other end, we'll take you home.'

Charlotte looked the happiest Liam had ever seen her in his short while of knowing her. 'Thank you!' she spoke, her voice full of emotion.

Carly smiled and sniffled. Clearing her throat, she got to her feet. 'Excuse me...' she told Liam and Charlotte, as she exited the room, discreetly wiping a tear away. Carly closed the door to the interrogation room behind her, dialling Johannah's number as she leaned against the wall. 

_'Carly? Is everything okay?'_

Carly smiled at Johannah's questions. 'She's doing very well, Mrs Tomlinson...' She glanced back at Liam and Charlotte in room through the window. 'We're finishing up our questions here and then she's going to be free to go. However, there will be preparations needing to made at your house. An FLO will be stationed in your house, until such time the kidnapper is caught. Police will be staked outside every night, 24/7...'

_'Anything to keep her safe!'_

'Johannah, I need you and Mark to start heading back up to Doncaster. Warn any other family members what's going on.' Carly trailed off, as she smiled. 'And your daughter will be back with you by tonight.'

She smiled widely as she heard Johannah's happy sobs on the other end of the line. _'Thank-you! Thank-you, so much!'_

Carly smiled. 'You're very welcome. Just message me your address and we'll see you tonight...' she told her, before hanging up. Having a case with a happy middle, always made her feel happy and excited. It made all the dark times of the job, so much more bearable...

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

* * *

Johannah unlocked the front door to her house and stepped inside, the smell of food greeting her nostrils, indicating Dan was home. Leaning against the closed front door, she allowed herself to relax now she was back home. Unzipping her coat, she hung it on the coat rack before making her way into the kitchen, when she found Dan hovering over the stove, stirring something in a large pot. She smiled at his back before walking over to hug him from behind. 

'And where have you been all day, missy?' Dan asked, concentrating on the stew he had been preparing. 

Johannah tensed up, before reaching to switch the stove off. 'I need to talk to you, but I didn't want to say any of it over the phone.' Dan frowned at his wife's words. Stepping away from the stove, he led her to the kitchen island, sitting next to her and waiting for her to continue. 'I... This morning, I got a phone call...' 

Dan saw her hands shaking and gently took them in his own. 'Okay, what was the phone-call?' he asked gently.

'London City police...' Johannah said, carefully watching Dan's expression. 'They found Lottie!' 

Dan's eyebrows shot up. 'What?' he asked, his mouth dropping open.

'She escaped... I still don't know the exact details, but... She escaped. And she called the police and got taken to London City Police station!' Johannah burst out into a wide smile. 'She can come home tonight. So, I have to go and set up her room!'

'Wait... Wait, wait, wait...' Dan quickly rushed out, before Johannah could move. 'Do you think you should tell Mark and Louis first?'

'Mark was with me.' The words left Johannah's mouth before she could stop them. 

Dan recoiled slightly. 'Oh... Okay, well... Where is he?'

'He went home. He's going to come over before they drop Lottie off... Is that okay?' she asked.

'Of course it's bloody okay!' Dan told her, before pulling her in for a hug. 'My god, baby... You get your little girl back!' He pressed kisses to Johannah's head. 'Do you want me to make myself scarce?' 

Johannah looked up at him, through her lashes. 'I don't know... The police said that she might get set back if she finds out that me and Mark aren't together... But, life goes on and people fall out of love, so maybe we should just be honest from the start?'

'I'll go alone with whatever you want. I can always stay at Sally's for a few days if you want? Give her chance to climatize being back home?' Dan offered, his thumb rubbing against the back of Johannah's hand comfortingly. Seeing his wife nod, Dan cupped his wife's face gently in his hands. 'Then whatever you want to do, I'll do...'

Johannah smiled at him. how did she managed to find such a wonderful, supportive husband? _Always find someone supportive_ she thought, before spoke. 'Well, you could help me set up her room first? I thinking of putting her next to Louis, or maybe across... But the room next to Louis' is the second biggest besides his... And it's like when they were kids.'

'Johannah, where would you like to put her?'

'I think next door to Louis. Like when they were little...'

* * *

 

Banging on the hotel door was not an acceptable way to be awakened, when one was hungover and the other was sexed out. 'Guys, get your arses up! It's home time!' Niall cheered, through the door. With one more bang, he scuttled off down the corridor.

'My head... Fuck, my head hurts!'

Harry groaned, rolling Louis off him and sitting up on his knees. 'That's your own fault, but Jesus, last night was good!' After Louis' threat to empty the hotel mini fridge, where the mini alcohol bottles were, Harry had given in and allowed Louis to use him.

Louis groaned. 'Morning to you too, Haz!' Opening his eyes, Louis squinted up at his husband. 'Told you it would be a good idea.!' he smirked devilishly. Rubbing his head with his hand, Louis climbed from the bed and staggered over to the bathroom. 'Are you getting a shower now or when we get home?'

Harry perked up. 'Can I shower with you? No funny business, I promise.'

'Yes, if you must!'

The bathroom door slammed shut, just as Liam started banging on the hotel room door. 'Guys! Half an hour, before we leave!' he shouted, before heading down to the hotel lobby for breakfast.

* * *

 

'Christ, how much shower gel have you guys used? I can smell you both from across the restruant!' Niall complained, as Harry and Louis sat down opposite him and Liam, their plates filled with bacon sandwiches. 

Harry raised an eyebrow at him, as Louis started shovelling his food in his mouth. 'Well, forgive us for being clean.'

'Well, you probably needed it after the amount of loud sex you too had last night. Thanks for no sleep by the way.' Niall told them, wrinkling his nose is disgust as Louis smirk at him with a piece of bacon hanging from his mouth. 'When will you eat like a normal twenty two year old?' he asked Louis, taking a sip of his drink.

'When you stop bleaching your hair blonde,,,'

Harry giggled, before taking a piece of his fruit salad. 'So, what you two got planned for the two weeks off?'

Louis stop eating and looked at his husband. 'That's a week away, Haz. Stop planning things in advance for once.'

'No, I got the dates mixed up last night. The two weeks off, they start now. Not next week.'

'Bloody hell, Haz!' Louis took a gulp of hot tea. 'I'm off to pack. I'll pack yours while I'm there.' he told him, before he rushed off, bacon sandwiches clutched in his hands. 

Harry's head shot up. 'What? No, Louis!' Sighing, he tore off a piece of toast with his teeth. 'See you guys in a bit.' Harry told them, through a mouthful of food, before he rushed after Louis to stop him from touching his stuff. It's not that he didn't trust Louis packing his stuff, he just didn't want greasy fingerprints all over his stuff.

Niall and Liam watched them go, both of them shaking their heads. 'With the amount of travelling and jetlag we have going on, I'm surprised Louis doesn't remember what week it is. I'm not looking forward to it.' Liam told Niall, biting his lip.

'He does, but I don't think that'll be a problem, if I'm honest. This hotel has thin walls. I heard Harry shouting at him last night after he threw something against the wall and then it went silent for about thirty seconds.'

'What do you mean it won't be a problem? He took an over-'

'Yeah!' Niall held up a hand. 'Harry was shouting about using a different coping method. From what I heard last night, think I'm glad that we're about to have a two week break.'

Liam looked confused, before it hit him. 'Oh! Eww!' he grimaced, as he took another bite of his breakfast, the grimace still on his face...

* * *

 

Johannah had just placed the photos of Louis and Lottie together on the bedside table, when her phone pinged with a message. Swiping across her screen, she unlocked her phone and saw a message from Carly. 

_Outside. Charlotte is asleep at the moment. Carly_

Johannah rushed from the room and down the stairs, flinging open the front door. Rushing out to the police car, she had never been more thankful for her private gated property, meaning you could only access the grounds from a private road and a passcode for the large gate at the bottom of the drive. 'Hey, darling. Wakey wake...' Johannah sing-songed to her daughter, watching as her daughter's blue eyes fluttered open.

Lottie recoiled at seeing her mum so close to her. Looking round, she frowned at her surrounding. 'Where am I?' she asked, panic rising evidently.

Johannah reached for her hand. 'You're home, darling. It may look a little different, but it's home...'

Lottie frowned and looked back at her mum. 'A little different?' she asked. 'It's a complete different house...' she told her.

'Please, trust me, darling!' Johannah asked, softly. She watched as Lottie glanced at her outstretched hand and then back to her. 'Please. I'll explain everything, I promise.' 

Lottie slowly nodded and allowed her Mum to help her from the car, before moving away from her as soon as she was out of the car. Gazing up at the house, Lottie slowly headed towards the front door. She looked at her Mum for permission before stepping inside at her Mother's eager nod. 

Watching as Lottie stepped into the living room, Ali lightly tapped Johannah on the arm. 'I'm trained to just blend into the background. Don't worry about me. We've decided to just have me here, rather that Police stationed outside as well. If anything goes wrong, I have Doncaster Police on speed dial. Carly and Liam will fill you in, in a bit...'

Johannah nodded and stepped into the room, where Mark was stood in front of Lottie, who looked positively terrified. 'Darling, what's wrong?'

'This isn't home. Where are we?' Lottie asked, tensing when Johannah hugged her. However, when Mark tried, she visibly flinched and moved away, pulling Louis' jacket sleeves over her hands, feeling uncomfortable. 

Johannah sighed. 'Darling, why don't you sit down... I'll make everyone a cup of tea and then we'll explain everything..' 

'We'll help...' Carly said, nudging Liam sharply and following Johannah into the kitchen.

Closing the door behind him, Liam cleared his throat. 'Johannah, we just want to tell what happens now. Obviously, this is where we end, however... We have partners who work within the same specialist team as us, here in Doncaster. They'll be round sometime tomorrow to introduce themselves. Charlotte already knows this, so we're going to slip out... But, if you need us, you have our numbers. Don't hesitate to ring us...'

Johannah nodded. 'Are you sure you don't want a cup of tea before you go?'

Liam shook his head, but it was Carly who spoke. 'We'd better get going. We've got reports to write and Chinese Takeaway that won't eat itself...'

'At least, let me show you out...'

Liam shook his head. 'It's absolutely fine. You go and be with Charlotte. She needs her Mum...' Liam told her softly, before he nodded at Carly and they stepped from the room, leaving Johannah by herself in the kitchen. 

While waiting for the kettle to boil, she plugged her phone into the charger socket, placing it on top of some cookery books. As the kettle whistled, she found a tray and loaded some cups with teabags, a jug of milk and a bowl of sugar onto it, before pouring hot water into the mugs. Placing the kettle back down, she picked up the tray and headed back into the living room, setting the tray on the coffee table. 'There we go, help yourself...' Johannah told the room, taking a seat on the sofa next to her daughter, who instinctively moved away from her, still not entirely comfortable being back in her Mum's presence.

'So, where do we start?' Mark spoke, as he made himself a cup of tea.

'What do you-'

'Louis...' Lottie mumbled, fiddling with her thumbs. 'Where is he?' she asked in a small voice.

Johannah sighed softly. 'Okay... Louis... Well, he's away with work at the minute but he'll be back next week.'

Lottie blinked at her. 'Where is he?'

Johannah glanced at Mark, before looking back at Lottie. 'Oh, it won't be any fun if we tell you it all. How about, I let him tell you? When he gets home?' 

Lottie bit her thumbnail. 'Does he... Is he still the same?'

Johannah nodded. 'Yeah... Look, at this.' She reached for photograph of a selfie. 'There he is. He took this of us, last month, when he was home.'

'Does he still live here?' 

Mark shook his head, deciding to intervene. 'He lives in London now with his husband.'

Johannah cursed Mark silently in her head. She watched as Lottie visibly tensed with a sharp inhale. 'He left?' she stuttered out. Johannah put out her hands, reaching for her daughter, however she scrambled from the couch. 'He gave up on me, didn't he? He doesn't love me anymore!' 

Johannah gasped and got to her feet, rushing to her daughter's side. 'Don't ever think that!' she told Lottie, passionately. 'He loves you so much! Not a day goes by that he doesn't think of you. He even got a tattoo in your name.' Johannah froze as she realised how that sounded. 'He got one for me as well... The two people he loves more than his... Husband.'

Lottie bit her lip, glancing at her Mum. 'He's married to a man? Like you and Dad are married to each other?' she asked, with a frown.

Johannah bit her tongue. 'Yeah, exactly like that... Harry is a great guy. Louis was lucky to find him...'

Lottie looked her mum, her gaze flickering between her and the floor, before eyeing the stairs. 'Can... Please can I have a shower?' she asked, politely.

Johannah glanced at Ali, who nodded as she took a sip of tea. 'Of course, you can. I'll show you where the bathroom is...' 

Gently, she led Lottie up the stairs and headed for the bathroom. Opening the door, she turned to find Lottie stood outside Louis' room. 'That's his room, for when he comes home.' Lottie joined her at the bathroom then, poking her head in and looking round. 'There's some towels in that cupboard there...' Johannah pointed to the airing cupboard. 'I'll... I'll be downstairs. Just shout if you need me.' She told Lottie softly. 

Watching her mum close the door behind her, Lottie locked the door, sighing as the click sounded through the room. Stepping into the shower, she slowly undressed, folding up Louis' jacket and placing it on the closed toilet seat. The white suit from the police she folded up as well, placing it on top and patting it twice. Closing the shower door, she turned the power shower on, jumping when water suddenly hit her skin. She scrambled for the temperate gauze and turned it to freezing, before she sat down in the corner of the shower, curling in on herself.

She was back home and she should've felt over the moon, but inside she felt hollow and empty.

The cold water felt like ice piercing her skin, just like loneliness was piercing her heart. 

* * *

 

Back in kitchen, Johannah's phone lit up with a two messages.

_The loveable idiot got the dates mixed up. Coming home for two weeks. On the way to the airport now. See you soon! I love you, Mum! X_

_Forgive my tired brain! See you soon, Mama Jay! Love H X_

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should point that, in this story, Zayn left after the Where We Are Tour ended, the boys have a two week break, before they start recording MITAM, and then rehearsals begin for OTRA... Or do they? :D

 

* * *

 

It was late evening when Lottie reappeared, dressed in Louis' sweatpants and oversized Adidas shirt that her mum left outside the bathroom. Her hair still damp from the cold shower. Entering the living room, she only saw her Mum, curled up in a corner of the sofa. 'Where's... Where's Dad? And Ali?' she asked, fiddling with her thumbs, a habit she did when she was nervous.

'They've gone to get Fish and Chips. Do you still like Potato Scallops? You and Louis were obsessed with them when you were little. I can ring and get them to get you something else. Whatever you want.' Johannah rambled.

Lottie looked overwhelmed, before she watched her mum break down in tears. Stepping back in alarm, Lottie was lost. Did she hug her? Or should she just let her cry it out? Taking a deep breath, she slowly headed for the sofa, sitting down to her mum and awkwardly patting her shoulder. 'It's okay, mummy. I'm not going anywhere.' she said, softly.

Johannah sniffled and looked at her daughter. 'Oh, I know, darling... I'm just... I can't believe how this day turned out.'

Lottie offered her a small smile. 'It's a good day, though... Right?' she asked, timidly.

'Darling, it's the best day!' Johannah told her, a bright smile on her face, gently wrapping her arms round Lottie's small figure. 'You're all skin and bones. I'll make you all your favourite foods this week! Get you back to being a health-'

'Do you still at the hospital? With babies?' 

Johannah blinked at the sudden conversation change. 'Yeah, Yeah... I still work there. Still love it just as much as my first day there.'

Lottie smiled slightly. 'That's nice.' she said, simply, before gazing round the room, her eyes settling on the shelf, more specifically the Brit Awards. 'What are those?' he asked, pointing. 

Johannah opened her mouth, however the front door slamming open had Lottie letting out a scream and cowering into her. 'It's okay. It's okay... It's just Dad!' Johannah told her softly, stroking her hair, glaring darkly as Mark entered the room.

'I'll get the plates.' Ali told them, heading in the direction of the kitchen. 

'Salt and Vinegar too!' Lottie called, before glancing at her parents and biting her lip, realizing she maybe shouldn't have spoken. A nudge from her Mum with an encouraging smile, made her smile bashfully, as Mark unravelled the greasy goodness that was wrapped in newspaper.

* * *

 

The One Direction private plane was quiet. Liam and Niall were fast asleep, dead to the world. Their bodyguards were at the front of the plane, probably sleeping or playing on the game console. But Louis was wide awake. Harry was snoring on his own shoulder, which didn't settle well with Louis, that he was fast asleep. 

He hated silence. He hated that the voices he had locked and buried in his head, managed to escape. He could feel them, scratching the surface. Writing down song lyrics hadn't worked, neither had playing a colours by numbers game, called Sandbox on his mobile. He rubbed his head with his hand, he gave up and allowed his thoughts to overtake him.

 _That time of year again. Wonder what is going to happen this year? End up in hospital? A grave? A divorce._ He wouldn't be surprised if two out of three of those came true. He could feel a different itch starting to scratch his skin, specially his wrists. He clenched his fingers into a fist, resisting the urge. Letting out a few deep breaths, he breathed in through his nose deeply and let them out slowly through his mouth.

He wished he could use his phone to call Helen. 

'Fuck...' he muttered, glancing at Harry, his sweet, loveable Harry. 'I'm sorry...' he whispered, before he got up from his seat and rushed into the small aeroplane toilet. Sitting on the toilet lid, he could feel tears burning his eyes as he dug into his pocket and unwrapped the little piece of foil, revealing the shiny sharp object. He silently apologised to Harry again, before he pulled up his sleeve and hissed in a sick pleasured way as he got his release.

_Matching the inside to the outside._

It stung. The first cut always did, but he had been doing it for years. Although it would the first time on his wrist, which was a very dangerous place to do it, especially with how fans got at airports, grabbing their clothing and trying to hold their hands. All it would take would be one fan, one photo.

Frantic banging came hammering on the door. 'Open the fucking door!' Harry voice boomed through from the other side. 'Louis, open the fucking door!' he screamed, sounding panicked. 

Louis panicked. Quickly, shoving the bloodied blade back into the foil and rewrapping it, he quickly shoved it into the little bin, yanking his sleeve down. Getting himself under control, he flushed the toilet and wrenched open the door. 'Fucking hell, Haz!' he snapped. 'I was taking a piss!' He stumbled as Harry pulled him out of the toilet, looking round the small room before looking down at Louis. 'I know you still don't trust me after last year, but if this-'

'I trust you, baby! I do, but... This week, you can't blame me if my insecurities come out in full force!'

Louis turned his back to his husband, seeing Niall and Liam stood next to their respective seats, their bodyguards watching over their seats. He sighed and headed through to where the beds were. Flopping down on one, he curled up and allowed the tears to fall heavily. Arms wrapped round him, from behind. 'You can't blame him, Lou.' Niall said, gently. 'Especially after last year. Another hour and you would've been dead.'

'Probably best if I was. He'd be free of me.'

'Don't say that! Please don't. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it, let alone Harry and Liam's!'

Louis sighed. 'But why is it always this week that it hits me the most? Why not her birthday or Christmas?' Louis sobbed, allowing Niall to hug him tightly as he tried to comfort him...

* * *

 

Lottie was wide awake. It was past midnight in the UK and the house was silent. Her mind was racing, wondering if Paul was looking for her. Deep down she knew he would be and that it was only a matter of time before he found her. She tried to steady her breathing, closing her eyes and imaging a happy place. Once she had calmed down, she sat up in the bed she was in and switched on the lamp. Looking round her room, she looked at the floor under the windowsill. Climbing from the bed, she grabbed a pillow and her duvet, laying them on the floor before crawling back under.

She didn't deserve the bed. _He_ always told her that she had to be good and eat her all of her food to earn the right to stay in the bed. And she hadn't. She hadn't eaten all her food. Her first proper meal home, and she couldn't finish it.

Pulling the duvet up over her shoulder, she stared at the picture of Louis holding her when she was a few hours old. 'I miss you...' she whispered, before reaching up to pull it down besides her, placing it next to her on the pillow.

She didn't see or hear the door closing, or her mothers distraught face at seeing her daughter making up camp on the floor, when she had a bed...

* * *

 

Harry gently kicked the door shut behind him, letting out a pleasured groan. Louis turned round and raised an eyebrow. 'Watch it! Anyone would think the house was giving you sexual-' Harry found his husbands mouth with his lips, pressing kisses repeatedly to them until Louis wrapped his arms round him.

'I'm glad to be home. Although it's dawn. I'm looking forward to sleeping!' Harry said, scooping Louis up into his arms and carrying him up the stairs. 

'You going to wreck me, Haz? Tell me off doing what I did?' Louis whispered, hotly in his ear. It was in the car that Harry had discovered Louis' newest cuts on his wrist.

Harry stumbled slightly and bit his lip, as he walked into their bedroom. 'Nope.' He dropped Louis roughly on the bed, ignoring his squeak of protest. 'You're phoning Helen or I'm taking you to hospital... Your choice.' 

Louis kissed the back of his teeth, before reluctantly reaching for his phone. Unlocking it, he noticed his Mother hadn't read his text messages, which was unlike her. Feeling Harry's eyes on him, Louis clicked on his contacts and brought up his therapist's number and pressed call.

 _'I was expecting you sooner if I'm honest.'_ Helen told him, after four rings.

Louis rolled his eyes. 'Charming.' He scoffed, shuffling up the bed to make himself comfy.

 _'No, that's a good thing. I know you might be in a different country, but still.'_   Helena yawned on the other end of the line. _'Sorry, doll... So, have you tried any new techniques since we last spoke?'_

'No. And we're back in London. We've got two weeks off...'

_'Louis...'_

Louis scrubbed a hand over his face. 'Please... Look, I can't write my thoughts down like some people and there's no way in hell, my darkest thoughts are becoming songs!'

_'What about talking to your husband?'_

'Harry doesn't even know her! And even if he did, I wouldn't. They're my problems, no one else's.'

Helen sighed. _'Anyone ever tell you you're stubborn?'_

Louis laughed. 'Everyday, darling!' 

_'How about I book you in for a session? Later on today? I assume you'll be driving up to see Johannah?'_

'Of course I am.' He sighed, not really having a choice now to back out of a session. 'Book me in. Your last appointment. I need Mum hugs first.' He blushed as he said, but the smile that graced his husband's face, at the end of the bed, was worth it. After confirming his appointment, Louis hung up. 'Happy now?' he asked Harry, who looked mightily proud of himself.

Harry crawled up the bed, hovering over him. 'Of course I am... Now, what to do with you?' he asked, before closing the gap between their mouths. Louis groaned in pleasure, his mouth opening to receive Harry's tongue instantly. Gripping his husbands curls, Louis allowed himself to be loved...

* * *

 

It was late morning when Dan stepped into the quiet house, closing the door softly behind him. 'Jay?' he hissed, tiptoeing into the living room and seeing Johannah curled up on the sofa. 'Morning, darling. You okay?' he asked, seeing the tear marks on her face. 'What happened?' he asked, pulling her into his arms.

'I was watching her for a little while, last night... Making sure she got off to sleep okay...' she sniffled. 'Dan, she's made her bed on the floor. She took a pillow and her duvet and she slept on the floor.' She sobbed into her husbands chest. 'Why would she do that?' She asked, tearfully.

Dan pressed a kiss to his wife's head. 'Maybe, for the moment, she feels... comfortable on the floor. Maybe she's finding it hard to let go of certain ways that she... grew up... with...' Dan said, wincing. He didn't really know how to phrase that sentence without almost insulting Johannah.

Johannah was about to reply when she heard floorboard creaking upstairs. 'Oh god, she's awake.'

Dan frowned. 'So?' he asked, before it hit him. 'She doesn't know about me yet, does she?' 

Johannah shook her head, before she stood from the sofa and heading for the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Lottie to appear at the top of them. She heard a knock on her bedroom door. 'Mummy?' a small voice called out, like a little girl.

Her heart broke. 'I'm down here, darling... Are you okay?' she asked, as Lottie appeared at the top of the steps.

'Please can I go in the shower again?' 

Johannah smiled. 'Oh, of course you can. Lottie, you don't have to ask... This is your home too.'

Lottie nodded, about to turn back for the bathroom when Dan's voice, swearing, reached her ears. Lottie frowned, instantly recognizing it as not her Dad's. 'Mum, who is that? That's not Dad's voice!' she asked, her voice scared. _Had he already found her?_

Johannah fish mouthed for a few seconds, unable to speak. 'Love, I-'

'Johannah!'

The front door suddenly banged opened. 'I'm back!' Louis called, throwing his arms up with a wide smile on his face, completely oblivious as to what he had walked into. 'Presents are in the car! And Harry will be up later. Much later, because he's still fast asleep. Or he was when I left him in bed...' It was then he took in his Mother's terrified face. 'What's the matter with you? Not the first time, I've surprised you by coming home early. I sent you a text message..' He told her, flashing her a charming smile.

'Louis... Mate...' Dan spoke, reaching out for him. He could already feel that this was going to go two ways.

Louis frowned, looking between his Mum and Step-Father. 'What's going on? Is everything okay?' he asked, looking at them, worriedly. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, shifting Louis' attention away from his Mum and Step-Father. He caught sight of his Adidas sweatpants, and then a white Adidas T-shirt, before the person finally stepped into view, visibly trembling with nerves.

'Louis...' Lottie spoke up, her voice shaking, as she came face to face with her brother after a decade. 'Long time no see...' she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, with a slight smile adorning her face...

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

* * *

 

Louis stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes fixated on his little sister. His clothing looked way too big on her little frame, her long brown hair was wrapped up in a messy bun while her cracked lips seemed to be slathered in Vaseline. He felt his Mum's eyes on him, as she watched the reunion play out. 

'Lo... Louis?' Lottie stuttered, growing nervous at her brother's non-response. 'It's me... It's Lottie.'

Louis eye's followed Lottie's movement. However, when she reached with her hand to cup his face, he staggered backwards, his legs feeling like jelly. He saw the flash of hurt cross his sister's face. 'Your... This isn't... This isn't real... You're not real!' He croaked at Lottie, before he stumbled back outside towards his car, ignoring his Mum's frantic shakes of her head. 

'LOUIS WILLIAM, GET BACK HERE!' Johannah screamed, terrifying Lottie, who clamped her hands over her ears and dropped to the floor, cowering. Johannah watched in horror as Louis drove away, leaving a large dust cloud in his wake. Dropping down next to her daughter, she hugged Lottie tightly. 'I'm so sorry, darling! I'm so sorry! Just give him time...' 

Lottie struggled in Johannah's grasp, wanting to be free. 'Johannah, let her go...' Dan told her, watching as Lottie broke free and scrambled back up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Dan let out a deep breath and sat next to a sobbing Johannah. 'Give him time. Let him come round the shock of seeing her...' 

'I could strangle him!' Johannah sobbed, clinging to Dan tightly. She had dreamed of this moment for years, seeing her two children reunite, but this wasn't how it panned out in her dreams.

'C'mon... Get up. Let's get a cup of tea in you.' Dan said, getting his feet and helping Johannah to hers, leading her to the kitchen to calm her down. Sitting her on one of the kitchen stools, he quickly bustled around making her a cup of tea. 'Here.' he said, softly, handing her a steaming cup before kissing her head.

'How could he do that?' Johannah whispered, brokenly.

'He's just come face to face with his sister after a decade. It was bound to be a huge shock for him. Just give him time.'

* * *

 

Louis was lucky there was hardly anything on the roads, especially as he was driving like he was in a Fast and Furious movie. Skidding into the private doctors car park, Louis spun his car into a parking spot and switched off the engine. He was struggling to breath, as his chest was tightening painfully. He knew he had to get his breathing under control before he passed out. Taking a deep breath, he fell from his car and only just remembered to lock it, before he staggered into the private practise. With a hand clutched to his chest, he stumbled over to the front desk.

'Helen. I need to see Helen!' Louis gasped, his hands shaking as he slammed them down on the desk.

The poor receptionist looked startled. 'Erm...' She glanced at the computer screen. 'Helen's just about to take her lunch break. You can wait-'

'I NEED TO SEE-' Louis cut himself off, as his chest hurt too much to speak. 

'Louis?' Turning at the sound of his name, he came face to face with Helen, who had just opened her door. 'What are you doing- Oh my god, what's happened?' Helen rushed over to him, as Louis sunk to the floor. 'Louis, you need to breath!' she told him, firmly, accepting the cup of water from the receptionist.

'She... She...' Louis gasped for breath, the wheezy sound of his chest scaring Helen. 

Getting to her feet, she helped Louis to his and lead him into her room, shutting the door behind her. Quickly guiding him to the sofa, she sat him down and fed him the water from the cup, until he started to calm down. 'Louis, please breathe! Please...' 

Louis took a shuddering breath before a waterfall of sudden tears poured down his cheeks. Helen scrambled for the tissues at the sudden emotion change. 'Lottie...'

'Oh, Louis-' Helen's heart hurt. She hadn't met anybody who loved their family as much as Louis loved his.

'She's back!' 

Helen's mouth dropped open at Louis' words. 'What?'

'She's... She's...' Louis stuttered for breath before he tried to speak again. 'She's home. She... She's dressed in my Adidas stuff!' 

Helen's hand cupped her mouth. 'Oh Louis! This is wonderful news!' 

Louis caught her eye and took a few deep breaths before he managed to get his breathing back to normal. 'If it's wonderful...' his voice was scratchy. 'Then, why am I here?' he asked, taking a large gulp of water. 

Helen made sure Louis was okay, before she sat at her desk, looking over at him. 'Louis, tell me what happened... In your own time.'

Louis rubbed his head with his hand, before rubbing his chest. Now, that his brain had caught up with his head, he knew he had reacted the complete wrong way. He had dreamt of that moment for years, and he had ruined it. 'I couldn't sleep. So, I left Harry at home and I drove up to Doncaster. I entered the house and my Mum looked terrified to see me. I didn't think anything of it until Dan spoke. Then, she just.... She just appeared on the stairs and then she was in front of me.' Louis sniffled. 'I've imagined that moment a thousand times... And then when it actually happens, I go and do this...'

'Louis, your reaction was normal. Everyone reacts differently in situations they've suddenly just entered, with no prior warning. Some react happily and some react unexpectedly.' 

'But, she's my sister. She's blood!' Louis said, wiping his eyes with tissues. 'I should be hugging her and kissing her head and giving her cuddles! I should be threatening anyone who gets too close to her...'

'Louis... What was your first response when you saw her? Your first instinct?' 

'Run...' Louis said, guilty. 'But, it shouldn't have been!'

'Louis, you haven't seen her ten years.' Helen cleared her throat. 'Did your Mum tell you that she was back?'

Louis shook his head. 'No, she didn't. I don't know if she was going to tell me or let me find out for myself...' he sniffled, before he leaned forward with his head in his hands. 'I've mucked this up...' he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.

Helen shook her head. 'You haven't.' She told him, softly. 'Just go home... And give your sister the biggest hug your little frame can give her.' 

Louis glanced at Helen, trying to keep the smile from his face. 'I'm not small...' he said, failing to keep the smile from his face. 'She's home!' he breathed. 'She's really home!' A large smile spread across his face, excitement starting to thrum under his veins.

'There's that smile I love!' Helen said, with a smile. Getting up from her chair, she headed round to stand in front of Louis. 'Now, go on. Get out of here! I'll cancel your appointment for tonight. Be with your family.'

* * *

 

Johannah knocked calmly on the door of Lottie's room. 'Darling? Please can you open the door?' she asked, softly, her heart breaking as she heard her daughters sobs. 'Lottie, please open the door..' 

'He doesn't love me anymore. He looked disgusted by me!'

Johannah shook her head, frantically, even Lottie couldn't see her. 'No, no, darling! He wasn't. He was in shock!' 

'Why didn't you tell him I'm home?' Lottie cried, curled up in the corner of her room, tears staining her cheeks as she cried.

'I was going to tell him. I just wanted you to be settled here first... I thought he was at work for another week! I thought I'd have more time!' Johannah heard the front door open. 'I'll be back in a minute.' She told Lottie, before she headed downstairs, coming face to face with Louis. 'You have some explaining to do!' she told him, fiercely. 'She's up there, crying her eyes out!'

'Mum, I'm sorry!' Louis cried. 'But, the shock of seeing her... You can't blame me! I came home to surprise you, yet I'm the getting the shock of my life!' his voice was getting louder. 'How long has she been home?' he demanded, the thought just hitting him.

'She came home last night... I swear!' Dan told him, stepping up behind Jay and placing his hands on her shoulders in comfort.

Louis looked between them and slowly nodded, before glancing at the stairs. 'Can I see her?' he asked.

Johannah sniffled and nodded. 'She's locked herself in her room. It's the one next to yours...' 

Louis nodded, before he rushed up the stairs, excitement thrumming through his veins at getting to hold his sister again. 'Lottie?' he called out. 'Lottie, I'm so sorry! Please... Please, come out!' he sniffled, wiping his cheeks. 'Let me hug you...'

* * *

 

Lottie was still curled up in the corner of her room, listening to her brother talk to her through the door. She shivered as she felt a slight draft coming from the window above her, but she stayed where she was. Knocking came to the door, before Louis started speaking again. Listening to his voice, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. Very slowly, she crawled over to her door and unlocked it, before quickly scurrying back to her corner, like a mouse in it's hole.

She watched as Louis slowly twisted the doorknob and poked his head into the room. 'Lottie?' he asked looking round, seeing her duck her head back down from the side of the bed. Closing the door behind him, Louis got onto his knees and slowly crawled round to where Lottie was cowering in the corner. Staying at the end of the bed, they looked at each other, taking each other in for the second time in ten years. 'Look at you. So pretty!' Louis whispered, with a soft smile. 

Lottie picked at the skin of her thumbnail. 'You have a beard...' she commented, before falling silent.

Louis smiled and stroked his two day stubble. 'Yeah...' he said. 'Do you like it?' he asked, gently.

'Looks prickly. Like that plant Mum used to have...'

Louis let out a bark of laughter, making Lottie jump. 'The cactus? The green, prickly plant that you always touched when Mum told you not to?' Lottie nodded her head, allowing herself a smile. 'It's actually quite soft...' Louis bit his lip. 'Do you want to touch? I promise it's not prickly...'

'Maybe later...' Lottie said, bringing her knees up to her chest, resting her head against the side of the mattress. She glanced around before biting her lip. 'What are those?' she asked, pointing to the ink on his skin. 

Louis looked at his arms. 'Tattoos. Me and Harr- some friends have them...' 

Lottie bit her thumbnail. 'Did it hurt?' 

Louis nodded. 'Some did...' He looked up at her, catching her eyes. 'Would you like to see yours? I got it when I decided to get Mum one... I remember when you were little, your favourite flower was a rose and your favourite colour was pink..'

Lottie nodded and smiled. 'I still like them.' she said, blinking owlishly at him.

'Good...' Louis said, smiling. Tugging off his jacket, he slid his right arm out of his arm sleeve and pushed the jumper to the side, stretching his arm out and showing his sister the tattoo. 'Do you like it?'

Lottie's eyes were wide in shock and surprise. Crawling forward slightly, she sat on her knees and stared at the tattoo. Covering Louis' right bicep, was a Jaybird on a tree branch, holding a baby pink coloured rose between it's beak. She reached out with her hand without thinking, before drawing it back. 

'It's okay. You... You can touch. Doesn't hurt anymore...' Louis told her softly.

Lottie looked at Louis, before reaching out slowly and prodding his inked skin lightly, before quickly drawing her hand back. 'Very detailed...' She commented.

'Probably one my favourite ones.' Louis told her with a smile, tucking his arm back into his sleeve and looking at his sister. An awkward silence came over the room and Louis didn't like it. 

'I know about Harry.' came Lottie's small voice. 'Daddy told me you lived with him in London...'

Louis frowned. 'Mark was round? When?' he asked, softly.

'Last night. He left before Mummy went to bed. She said that he was working the night shift...'

Louis stared at his sister, before the answer hit him. Lottie didn't have a clue about their family. What had happened. He highly doubted she knew who Dan was. 'Oh, okay. Erm... Yeah, me and Harry live together. About five years now.'

'Daddy said he's your husband. Like Daddy is to Mum...'

Louis froze. Why hadn't his Mum told Lottie the truth? He cleared his throat. 'Yeah, he's my husband. We've been married about two years.' 

'Do you love him?'

'Of course I do. I wouldn't have married him if I didn't...' Louis told her instantly. Feeling brave, he reached out and slowly cupped his sister's cheek. He felt her tense up under his touch. 'It's okay. I just want to... I just want to make sure you're real. I feel like dreaming...' Lottie stayed tense until Louis stroked her cheek with his thumb, an action he used to do when she was little and couldn't sleep. She glanced down at his thumb, before she looked up at him again. 'Can I hug you? Please...' Louis asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

Lottie slowly moved forward on her knees and gently patted Louis on the back, before drawing back, away from him. 'Like that?' she asked, innocently.

Louis shook his head, his eyes filling tears. 'No, darling. A proper hug. A cuddle... Like we used to do when we were little... Remember?' 

Lottie looked confused, before looking at Louis and nodding. Allowing Louis into her personal space, she watched carefully as his arms wrapped round her tightly and moved her so she was curled against his chest. With shaking hands, she hugged him tightly round the waist, gasping as he pressed kisses into her hair, feeling wetness on the side of her head. She knew he was crying and sighed. 'It's okay, Lou-Lou... I'm here now...' she whispered in his ear, using her nickname for him.

Louis laughed wetly as he heard it. 'I've been waiting to hear that name for so long!' he told her, as he hugged her tighter, ignoring the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. He knew who it was and why he was ringing.

But he had his sister in his arms, for the first time in ten years and nothing was going to interrupt that moment...

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

 

* * *

 

'They've been up there a while...' Johannah spoke, from her position on the sofa, as she checked her phone. Two hours had passed since Louis had come home from Helen's office and reconnected with Lottie. 'Maybe I should go and check on them.' She grunted slightly, as Dan pulled her back into his arms. 

'Let them have a couple of hours reconnecting.' Dan told her, stroking her hair, as she snuggled into his chest again. 'Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if we heard the entire discography of One Direction about to be belted at top volume...'

Johannah giggled and looked up at Dan. 'You love them...' 

'I have to.' Dan deadpanned, wincing at the slap Johannah gave his chest. 'Bloody hell, woman! It was a joke!' he told her, with a laugh.

Johannah settled back down on Dan's chest. 'Better have been...' she muttered, before the doorbell ringing disturbed their peace. Johannah sighed and hid her face, before she got up and headed for the front door. Opening it up, she came face to face with Ali and two police officers she didn't recognize. 'Um... Hello?'

'These are the Detectives taking over Lottie's case...' Ali remindered her, gently.

'Oh, of course...' Johannah stepped back into the house. 'Come in... Living room is through there...' She said, indicating to her left with her arm outstretched. 'I'll just go and get Lottie.' she told them, before rushing up the stairs. Stopping outside Lottie's room, she pressed an ear to the door.

'I remember the day Mum brought you home from the hospital. I was so jealous that someone else was taking up her attention and I hated it. However, Mum couldn't get you to settle on your first night home, so I stormed into her bedroom all guns blazing... And you took one look at me and quietened down...' 

Lottie giggled. 'Is that why you always cuddled me, like, cradling a baby when I was little?'

Louis nodded. 'Yep. You loved it. Always got you to sleep.' Johannah sighed as she knocked on the door, interrupting their bubble. 'Who's there?' Louis called.

'It's Mum... The police are here. They want to ask Lottie more questions.' Johannah said, turning the doorknob and opening the door. Frowning when she didn't see them, she stepped into the room before heading to the side of the bed, finding them both curled up on their sides on the floor under the duvet, facing each other.

'Do I have to do it, now?' Lottie asked, watching as Johannah nodded. 'I don't want to!' she snapped, before sitting up. 'Tell I'll do it in my own time. I'm reconnecting with my brother...'

Louis and Johannah looked shocked at Lottie's sudden sharp tone. 'Mum, she'll be down in a minute...' Louis told her gently, nodding to the door. Johannah sighed and left the room, closing the door softly. 'Lottie, the quicker you do this... The quicker we come back here and talk. I haven't even told you the best bit yet!' 

Lottie cocked her head to one side. 'What's that?' she asked, cutely.

Louis smiled. 'Get this interview over with and I'll tell you!' 

Lottie pouted. 'Please, can I go to the toilet first?' she asked. Louis frowned, but nodded, wondering why she needed his permission. He watched as Lottie scurried out of the room, before he pushed himself upright. Getting to his feet, he dragged the duvet onto the bed, and remade it, bending down to pick up a photo-frame. He smiled at seeing the photo and placed it back on the bedside table.

Exiting the room, he headed for the bathroom and knocked on the door. 'Lottie? You done? I'll walk down with you...' When silence greeted him, he frowned. Pressing his ear to the door, he knocked again. 'Lottie?' Pulling away, he bit his lip. 'MUM?' he shouted, not wanting to alarm her. 'Is Lottie downstairs?' he shouted, straining his ear to here anything indicating Lottie was downstairs already.

'No...' Johannah's voice floated up the stairs. 

'Shit.' Louis muttered. Trying the doorknob, he groaned when it was locked. Banging repeatedly on it, he shouted Lottie's name. 

'Louis, what the hell are you doing?' Dan asked, rushing up the stairs, wondering what all the banging was about. 

Louis sighed and mentally prepared himself for his mother's screams later on. Kicking the door in, Louis darted inside the bathroom, finding it empty. 'FUCK!' he shouted, seeing the window open. Rushing towards it with Dan behind him, he expected to find Lottie sprawled out on the back patio. Seeing no one, he realised she had ran off. 

'Shit, where the hell could she have gone?!' Dan shouted.

'I'll find her! I'll find her..' Louis shouted, bounding down the stairs and out of the front door, ignoring his Mum's shouts of his name...

* * *

 

Lottie didn't have a clue where she was running to. All she wanted was to get away from the police. She was having so much fun reconnecting with her brother that she forgot everything for a little while. She spotted the high street up ahead and headed towards it. If she remembered correctly there was a park somewhere round about where she was. 

Rushing up the high street, she suddenly stopped dead as she made the mistake of looking to her left. There, on the TV screen in the window, was a live news report showing Paul's face. Feeling herself panicking, she looked round for an exit, jumping when a baby started screaming. Taking one last look at the TV, she took off running again, sighing in relief that the park was still where she remembered. Slowing to stop as she neared the swings, she placed her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Once she had caught her breath, she looked around the park and realized she was alone. 

Jumping onto the swing, she swung to and forth for a few minutes, gaining height and speed, laughing like a little girl just discovering something for the first time. 'Are you trying to give Mum a fucking heart attack?!' The sudden scream of Louis' voice had her toppling backwards off the swing. Flipping backward, she landed face first onto the tarmac. 'Fuck!' Louis dashed forward, dodging the still swinging swing and helping Lottie to her feet. 'Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!' he told her, rubbing the skin when it was red on her cheek., hurt flashing on his face when she recoiled from his touch.

'I don't want to go home...' Lottie told him, shaking her head. 'I want to be normal!' She said, her voice cracking. 

Louis' heart broke, as she started sobbing. Sighing he pulled her into his arms, trying to pretend that Lottie tensing up and struggling slightly didn't affect him at all. 'I know... I know.. But the quicker you do this, the quicker they can put whoever did this behind bars.'

'I saw him.' The words flew from Lottie's mouth before she could stop them.

Louis stopped breathing. 'What?' he stuttered, holding her tighter.

'On the TV in the high streets... I told the police and a sketch artist what he looked like and what his name was before I left. They must've found him or something because he was on TV!'

Louis let out a sigh of relief. 'Jesus, I thought you meant he was here!' he told her. Wrapping his arm tightly round her. 'Please, just come home. Just get this interview over with and then I'll tell you my biggest secret.'

Lottie sighed and gently shrugged Louis' arm off her, but lightly tangled their fingers together. 'Promise?'

Louis nodded firmly. 'Promise.' 

* * *

 

'Brother dearest!' Gemma flung her arms tightly round Harry, squishing his face slightly as she did so.

' 'et 'ff ee!' Harry tried to pull away as Gemma placed a kiss on his cheek, making a loud smacking sound as she did. 'Bloody hell, Gem!' Harry grumbled, fondly as she finally pulled away and sat down opposite him. 'Don't think I've ever seen you so happy to see me!' he joked, a large smile on his face.

Gemma smiled then frowned slightly at the empty space besides him. 'Where's Louis?' 

'He's gone home. I'm heading up there later, but I can't get hold of him.' 

'Just turn up. Johannah's not going to mind, you know that.' Gemma told him, with a knowing smile, before turning to waitress and ordering a white coffee with her usual Salmon salad.

'Erm... Chicken and Avocado salad with a Vanilla Latte, please.' Harry ordered, with a smile, before handing the menu to the waitress, who looked slightly stunned to see the Styles siblings, before she walked off with a smile. 'So, what you been up to?'

Gemma shrugged. 'Writing, photoshoot's, writing...' she said, before raising an eyebrow. 'You?'

Harry smirked. 'Oh, you know, performing to sell out crowds, writing hit songs...' He smile mischievously. 'Fucking my husband any chance I get...'

'HAZ!' a balled up napkin hit Harry's face, as he giggled. 'I'm your sister! I don't need to know that part!' 

'You asked!' 

Gemma shot him a disgusted look, before smiling a the waitress as she brought their drinks over. 'Thank-you..' she said, accepting her drink and placing Harry's in front of him. 'So, I've booked some time off later in the year. Maybe we could go away, as a family...'

Harry raised an eyebrow, before smiling. 'Yeah, that'd be nice. When you say fam-'

'The Tomlinson's as well, obviously! They're apart of it now, legally!' Gemma said, like it was obvious. 'Besides, you and Louis wouldn't be able to cope with being separated for a week..'

'Yes, we bloody would!'

Gemma snorted. 'Oh please! Christmas 2010, you and Louis had been apart for three days, and Dan, Johannah and Louis ended up come down and spending Christmas with us because you two wouldn't shut up about each other!'

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'I think you'll find Mum and Johannah were half of the reason as well!'

Gemma laughed. 'Not as bad as you and Louis, trust me!' 

Once they had their food, talk turned again to family. 'How are Mum and Robin? Me and Louis are thinking about visiting next week. Spend a week with each family.'

Gemma nodded, as she chewed a mouthful of food. 'Yeah, they're good. They'll love a visit from you. You know how Mum loves to spoil her two sons...'

'Only cause I'm her favourite...' Harry boosted, jokingly.

Gemma chuckled and nodded, before her posture turning slightly nervous. 'How... Is...' She cleared her throat. 'How is Louis?' she asked, quietly, knowing this time of year was a tricky one.

Harry glanced at her before looking back at his food, nodding. 'Yeah, he's okay.' he answered, stiffly.

Gemma frowned. It didn't sound like everything was okay. 'Harry? Harry, what happened?' she asked, reaching across the table to grab his hand in comfort.

'He... He...' he made a subtle motion on his wrist that Gemma was holding.

She frowned, before her eyes grew wide. 'Oh god, Harry...'

'He did on the plane. We had an argument and he stormed off to the bunks. Niall followed him and I went into the toilet. I knew he had done something in there, so I started looking. I found it wrapped in a piece of foil in the little toilet...' his voice cracked but he held his tears back and took a large mouthful of food.

'Harry-'

'Please, Gem! Please... Let's just enjoy our dinner, please..' Harry begged, shooting her a pleading look as he stared at her.

Gemma nodded frantically. 'Of course, of course.' Taking a bite of her food and swallowing, she turned the subject onto an article she had had to write for work, taking Harry's mind off the Louis situation.

* * *

 

The front door swung open as she saw them approaching from the living room window. 'Don't you ever do that again!' Johannah shouted, storming from the front door and out to the driveway, as she saw Louis approaching with Lottie wrapped in his arms.

'Johannah! Johannah!' Dan and Ali followed her out, Dan holding his wife back.

'Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be out here, by yourself?!' Johannah questioned Lottie, who cowered slightly at her mother's tone. 'Get inside. The police are still here!' Johannah pointed behind her, indicating for Lottie to disappear inside. 

Lottie glanced at Louis, who looked stony faced at his Mum, before he was nodding gently to Lottie to do as she was told. Bowing her head, she slowly headed for the house, Ali following her inside as she stepped through the threshold. Once they were gone, Louis spoke. 'Was that necessary, Mum?' he questioned.

'Of course, it was! She climbed from the fucking bathroom window and ran off!' Johannah shouted. 'Do know what it felt like? Having that fear just slammed straight back into you? Being jolted back to that day when I went round to Brittany's to pick her up and she told me she wasn't there!?'

Louis stared at his Mum, tears slowly starting to burn his eyes. He sighed and he knew it was time. 'I need to talk to you...' he said, grabbing his Mum's hand and leading her into the house and through to the kitchen, shutting the door behind him once Dan had stepped in, standing behind his wife and looking quizzically at his stepson.

Taking a deep breath, Louis ran his hands through his hair, before turning round to look at his Mum. 'The... The day she went missing...' he trailed off, as his throat closed up. Johannah looked at her eldest, waiting for him to continue. 'After school...' Louis choked out, the tears falling from his eyes. 'I should've gone to go and pick her up. And I should've waited for her at the shop next to the school, like I always did...' Louis closed his eyes, reliving the day through his head. 'Well, that day... Oli and Calvin had convinced me to let her walk home with Brittany. They pressured me into skipping the last period of the day and we went back to Oli's house and got drunk, as it was the weekend...' Louis opened his eyes to see his Mum's expression unreadable. 'We walked passed the school, when we were trying to sober up and I saw her, Lottie. She was looking for me and I wasn't in my normal spot. Oli yanked me away before I could shout for her to go with Brit, which I saw her do anyway. She walked off with Brittany and her older sister... That was the last time I saw her.' Louis wiped away the tears that marked his cheeks. 'Mum, it was my fault... The last ten years. It wasn't because she was at Brittany's, like I said was. It was because I choose peer pressure over my family, and I'll never forgive myself for that...'

'Hang on, you saw her walk off with Brittany though...' Dan said, his hands gripping Johannah's shoulders tightly, feeling her tensing with anger.

'Yeah, she walked off with Brittany and her sister, but Brittany went home and Lottie carried on walking, to come home. I told Mum she was Brittany's house because that's the last time I saw her, so I assumed she went there. When Mum went to pick her up, Brittany said that Lottie had carried on walking home when Brittany and her sister arrived at their house...' His eyes flickered to his Mum. 'Mum, I'm so sorry!' he sobbed. 'I shouldn't have chosen my friends over my family!' 

'You allowed those boys to get you drunk, knowing you had a responsibility...'

'Mum, I'm-' Dan gasped as Johannah's hand flew up before he could stop it. Louis clutched his burning cheek, the tears stinging where they dripped down his cheek. 'Mum... If I could go back and change that day, I would! I'm so sorry!'

Johannah opened her mouth to speak, when something caught her eye. 'What's that?' Johannah asked, her eyes suddenly fixated on her son. More specifically her son's wrist. Reaching out, she pushed Louis' sleeve up his arm, revealing the fresh, angry looking cuts. Slowly, as her eyes dragged up her sons body, everything he had just said clicked into place. 'Is this why...' She took a shuddery breath. 'Is this why every year you go off the rails?' she asked, fresh tears springing to her eyes.

Louis nodded. 'I'm sorry it took so long for me to tell you! I really am... This  is my way of coping.' Louis cried out, before his Mum pulled him into a hug.

'Shh... C'mon, calm down. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hitting you!' 

'I deserved it...'

Leading Louis to the kitchen island, Johannah sat him down, so they were eye level while she stood. 'Why did you... Last year, why did it hit you so hard then?'

Louis sniffled, as he wiped some tears away. 'Because I saw her... That day. I saw her while I was pulled up at the side of the road. Harry was telling me something about an urgent meeting, the next day involving Malik's departure...' Louis sighed. 'She ran out in front of my car. She looked so scared and tense. I just froze! And by the time I did know what to do, I hung up on Harry and dashed after her, but she was gone!' 

Johannah looked devastated. 'Oh, my baby!' She pulled Louis in for a hug, rubbing his back gently as he sobbed on her shoulder. 

'I ran after her... I swear, I did...' Louis choked on his words. 'By the time, I got home, Harry was still at Nick's and I was just... lost so deep into my head and in my thoughts. I took the bottle of vodka and - well you know the rest...' Louis pulled away from the hug gently. His chest felt a lot lighter after finally telling the truth. 'Mum, I really am sorry...'

Johannah sighed and shook her head. 'It's okay. Just give me time to process it...' she kissed his cheek gently. 'How about I make us hot chocolate? Calm us all down?' she suggested, avoiding her sons eyes.

Louis smiled slightly. 'I'd like that...' he said, his eyes heavy and swollen. 'I'm going to go and splash my face...' he said, before he quickly made his exit from the kitchen. Rushing up the stairs, he locked himself in the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror, he looked at his cheek, his Mum's handprint slightly visible. He gingerly touched it, before sighing at his reflection in the mirror. Swollen eyes, messy hair and tears staining his skin. _What a look_ he thought bitterly, as he bent down to splash his face with cold water, not wanting to alarm his sister with his appearance and being asked more questions than he wanted asking...

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

* * *

 

Early evening had fallen when the police finally left. Lottie sighed at having to relive the worse day of her life, it wasn't something she wanted to repeat. Sniffling, she wiped her face with her hand. She would rather have had Carly and Liam back, as the new Police officers were way too serious and direct. At least, with Liam and Carly, they were more relaxed and open with their body language

'Darling, you okay?' Johannah asked, as she stepped into the little office than Dan used to do his paperwork; seeing her daughter curled in the armchair.

Lottie nodded. 'Yeah, I'm fine...' she muttered, her eyes still fixated on the photo she could stop staring at throughout the interview. 'Mummy, who is that man? The one who's in our kitchen?'

Johannah sighed and sat down next to her. 'He's my husband.' she told her gently. 'Your Dad and I grew apart over time and it got to the point where we were both unhappy and we separated.'

Lottie bit her lip. 'So, he's my new Dad?'

'Step Dad, yeah...' 

'Do... Can I... Can Dad still see me and Louis?' Lottie asked, worrying the skin of her thumb between her teeth.

'Of course you can still see him! Do you want me to call him?'

Lottie thought it over for a minute, before slowly shaking her head. 'I want to get to know... What's his name again?'

Johannah smiled. 'He's called Dan.' she said softly. 'How about you come into the lounge? We're all about to have hot chocolates... Maybe you could ask him a few questions and me and Louis will help out as much as we can...'

Lottie smiled and nodded. 'That sounds nice. Can Ali come as well?'

'Of course she can.'

Lottie beamed before turning to Ali, who had followed Johannah into the room. 'My Mum makes the best hot chocolates ever!' she told her, before she bounded from the room.

Johannah stared after her, a smile on her face at the compliment. 'You're doing really well, Johannah... Well done.' Ali praised her, softly, before she left the room to follow Lottie into the lounge...

* * *

 

Stepping into the kitchen, Johannah got out a saucepan before pouring enough milk in the pan for five people before switching on the hob. Reclining back against the kitchen Island, Johannah allowed the last few hours to wash over her. As if he could sense the mood change, Louis stepped back into the kitchen, his face less swollen but still evident that he had been crying. 

'Mum? Are you okay?' he asked, staying near the door.

Johannah stayed silent for a few minutes. 'That day the police interviewed you about Lottie's disappearance. What did you tell them?'

'That I'd seen her go off with Brittany and her sister, obviously!'

'And they got interviewed right?' Johannah checked with him.

Louis frowned. 'Mum, they were the last people to see her! Of course they got interviewed!' Louis stepped closer to his mother, away from the closed kitchen door. 'Mum, Lottie always knew to go with Brittany if I was never there. We couldn't have predicted that day-'

'It wouldn't have happened at all if you hadn't decided that getting drunk was better than picking your sister up!' Johannah snapped, finally looking at her son, who flinched at her tone. 'Just like last year! Why didn't you call the police when you got home? An new investigation could've been launched to find her! But instead you grab a bottle of vodka, down some pills with it and end up nearly killing yourself!' 

'By the time I got home, she was long gone!'

'HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!' Johannah screamed furiously. 'You couldn't have known how long she had been gone when you got home!' Johannah sighed exhaustedly. 'How long did you look for her?'

'I don't know. Forgive me for not looking at my watch while I was running to find my sister!' Louis snapped, furiously. 

He knew he was in the wrong, he knew that the second he woke up in a hospital bed with Harry and Johannah by his side. He had tried to them that day, but neither of them listened and just screamed and shouted at him about his stupid decision. When he was about to tell them why he did what he did, with an angry voice, Harry had threatened him with a divorce if he didn't get professional help before the first half of the Where We Are Tour started. Stunning him with that threat and the reality of what he had done to himself, Louis had stayed silent, not wanting anger either of them further. By the time, he had been released it was straight into tour rehearsals and therapy lessons.

'Did you ever tell anyone? That you'd seen her?' Johannah asked, as she added the Cadburys Hot Chocolate powder mix to the milk.

'I told someone, eventually...'

Johannah's grip tightened on the wooden spoon. 'Who?'

'I told Helen. Gemma joined the tour and Harry was off lounging by the pool with her one day and it just came out. I didn't intend to tell her, it just slipped out!' Louis slumped against the island. 'By the time, I had eventually told Helen, months had passed.' He slid to the floor, before burying his face in his hands. 'Mum, I know I've mucked this up! I know I did wrong last year, but we have her back now... Isn't that... Isn't that a good thing?'

'Of course it is! Of course it is, but... We could've avoided this past year if you'd have thought with your head!'

'I tried to tell you! You and Harry! The day I woke up in hospital. After I came round, I was trying to tell you both, but you were both screaming at me for 'being so bloody stupid.' and 'how dare I put you through the hell of almost loosing another kid!'. If you had both shut up for a moment I would've told you!'

'Do not dare turn this round on-'

'And then Harry threatened me with divorce if I didn't get professional help and that was last thing I expected to come out of his mouth, so forgive me, if I was a little bit distracted!' 

Johannah opened her mouth to retaliate, when Lottie threw the kitchen open, looking terrified. 'Mummy! There's someone outside! A car just pulled up outside! What if it's him? What if he found me?' Lottie sobbed, her whole body shaking. 

Louis scrambled from the floor and rushed to front door. Curling his hand into a fist, Louis prepared himself, before flinging the door open suddenly.

'WHOA!' Harry stumbled over his two feet as he lost his grip on the doorknob to the Tomlinson residence. Louis heard his sister shriek behind him, in the kitchen doorway. 'Louis, what the hell, man!?' Harry questioned, seeing Louis' raised fist. 

Louis quickly put his fist down and let out a sigh of relief. 'Haz...' he breathed out, before he flung himself into his husbands arms.

'Louis? Have you been crying? What's happened?' Harry looked round at Dan for answers. He shook his head and motioned for him to take Louis upstairs. Picking Louis up effortlessly, he headed up the stairs to Louis' room, failing to see the younger Tomlinson  watching them from behind her Mum. Setting Louis down on the bed, he stepped away to examine his husband. 'Louis, what the hell has happened since this morning? You look like shit...'

Louis raised an eyebrow. 'Oh thanks Haz!' he replied, with a roll of his eyes, before smiling. 'I got a present this morning...'

'That made you cry?' Harry questioned, folding his arms. 

'Kind of. Argument with my Mum, anyway...' A bright smile erupted on Louis' face. 'Downstairs... Did you see anyone else besides my Mum and Dan?' 

Harry frowned, before shaking his head. 'No, I heard someone shriek, but I thought it was your Mum.'

Louis shook his head. 'Harry, that was Lottie...' his eyes sparkled. 'Harry, she's back! She's downstairs!' he whispered, excitedly. 

Harry's eyes grew wide. 'What?' he asked, examining Louis' face. 'Oh my god!' He scooped Louis up into his arms again and kissing the side of his head. 'Louis, that's... Fucking hell!' 

Louis giggled, before he attached their lips in a series of quick kisses. 'Can I... Can I introduce you to her?'

Harry nodded. 'Of course you can...' Setting Louis back onto his feet, he allowed his husband to drag him back downstairs excitedly. 

Bounding into the living room, Louis smiled widely at finally introducing his husband to his sister in law. 'Lottie, this is Harry, my husband...' He said, motioning between them. 'Harry, this is my little sister, Lottie...'

Harry waved brightly at her. 'I've heard a lot about you, Lottie. It's a pleasure to finally met you...' Harry said kindly. 

Lottie watched him closely, from where she was cuddled into her mothers side. Waving back tentatively, she smiled slightly. 'Hi Harry...'

Louis smiled at Lottie, before noticing the cups of hot chocolates. 'Where's my hot chocolate?' he asked, pretending to put out.

'Kitchen.' Johannah told him, blankly. 

Louis sighed before Harry stopped him, a slight frown on his face at Johannah's tone. 'I'll get it. Can I make one for myself, please, Johannah?' 

Johannah smiled at Harry. 'Of course you can, darling...' Harry beamed, before he bounded for the kitchen, the Tomlinson's watching him go...

* * *

  

Harry was humming a tune under his breath, when Johannah entered the kitchen, shutting the door behind her. 'How is my lovely mother in law doing today?' Harry greeted, pressing a kiss to her cheek. 'Can't believe Lottie is back-'

'Did you know?' Johannah asked, her arms folded.

Harry frowned. 'Know what?' he asked, confusedly, looking at Johannah.

'The reason Lottie disappeared... He chose drinking with his friends over picking his sister up from school. He watched her walk off with Brittany, rather than walk her home.' Johannah told him. 'And last year, when he ended up in hospital... Turns out he'd seen her that day...'

'What?'

'Apparently, you were talking to him about Zayn's departure, a meeting what had to be held or something and he saw her.. Running across the road. He followed her, but he lost her. Then, when he got home, he did what he did, instead of calling the police!'

Harry was speechless for a few minutes. 'Johannah... What... How do you know this?'

'He told me...'

Harry closed his eyes and breathed out. 'When?' he asked, turning the hob off with a flick of his wrist.

'Today...'

Harry frowned. 'Is that why he looks...' he trailed off. 'What about the handprint? On his cheek?' he asked.

Johannah looked down guiltily. 'I hit him..'

Harry recoiled. 'You what?' 

'It was a stupid mistake! My hand reacted before my brain and I apologised!'

The door swung open slowly and Louis stood there, his arms folded and an unimpressed look on his face. 'Talking about me, are you?' he asked, coldly.

'Louis, is what she said-'

'Yeah, it's true. I saw her and I lost her again. I ran as fast as I could to grab her, Mum. But she was a hell of lot faster than me!' Louis sighed, wishing that the hadn't told his Mum anything now. 'All I saw as I was running was that day! The day she walked off and I never saw her again. By the time I got home, I was beating myself up inside about not being able to catch her, that I let her get away again.' Louis felt tears burning his eyes. 'I felt like a failure of a brother for letting her get away again! I'm her big brother, I'm supposed to protect her and I didn't! Don't think I've beaten myself up enough about my decision all them years ago? When you came home in a fucking panic with tears streaming down your face, screaming at Dad to call the police...' Louis sniffled, batting Harry's arms away from him. 'I know I should've called the police that day when I saw her, and I can't apologise enough for not doing so!'

'Louis-'

'Shut up!' Louis growled at Harry. Under normal circumstances, Harry would've found that sexy. 'Mum, please... Please forgive me! Even if I had called the police that day, we still might not have found her!'

'But we could have!'

'SHUT UP!' Louis grabbed Harry's arm in shock, as Lottie erupted, in a fit of anger, behind him. 'Stop fighting! Please, just stop! Stop blaming him, Mum because it's my fault-'

'No, it's not!' Johannah protested, but Lottie continued talking.

'Yes, it is! I knew better than to walk home by myself. I should've stayed at Brittany's until you came got me...' She told her Mum, before sighing. 'And last year... Louis was right. He did run after me because I heard him screaming for me. I was trying to get out of the tree clearing that we ended up running through, but Paul found me and grabbed me, before hiding us behind this massive tree/bush thing. Louis ran straight past me!' tears spilled from Lottie's eyes. 'I tried to shout, but he had a cloth with something on it. I passed out and the next thing I knew, I was back in basement...'

The kitchen was silent. 'Why... Why didn't you stop running, baby?' Johannah asked, her voice cracking.

'I couldn't. My instincts were on flight mode and I thought If I could just get out of the tree clearing and out onto a main road or something... Then it'd all be over. Louis would catch me and take me to the Police station, they'd do some tests and question us and then I'd be let go and I'd be able to come home to you... Where I belonged.'

Louis sniffled and pulled his sister in for hug, crying with her. 'I was so close to you... I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!' he cried, wetting her hair with his tears.

Johannah sniffled and hugged both of her children close to her chest. 'I'm sorry for shouting...' she whispered, along with a few things that Harry didn't pick up as he slipped from the kitchen, giving the Tomlinson's a bit of privacy.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

 

Night time was the worse. Lottie was curled up on the floor again, shaking under the duvet. She had awoken dripping with sweat, from a nightmare, before she dragged her pillows and duvet from the bed and back to the floor. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks as she shook. Trying to calm herself down, Lottie let out a few noisy deep breathes while wiping her eyes with her hands. Sniffling, she sat up and looked around her bare room. She didn’t feel like any other eighteen year old girl her age. She felt like an outsider, a ghost. 

Floorboards creaking close to her room had her pulling the duvet to her chest. Straining her ear, she listened to her brother speaking. ‘I love you, Haz..’

Harry chuckled. 'I love you too.. So much…’ Things went quiet, but she could hear wet noises like someone kissing. She heard Louis’ door open and close, leaving the house silent again. Sighing, she got to her feet and slipped out onto the landing. Tiptoeing past Louis’ room, she sneaked down the stairs and into the living room, switching the light on. 

Squinting, she spent a few minutes looking round the room, trying to see herself in the new family home. She tried to imagine Sunday dinners with her Mum and step-father, she tried to imagine raiding the kitchen cupboard with Louis like they did when they were really little. Sighing, she headed over to the shelves, picking up one of the Brit Awards in her hand. _Global Success Award - One Direction_. Lottie frowned and looked at some of the other Brit Awards.  _Best Single_  and two  _British Artist Video Of The Year_. Placing the Brits back on the shelf, Lottie looked round. What was One Direction? After the emotionally charged afternoon, Louis had spent most of the afternoon napping with Harry on the sofa, while Ali, Johannah and Dan decided to let them have a bit of space and made themselves scarce in kitchen.

Looking round for something to indicate what One Direction was, she heard footsteps on the stairs and froze. She heard whistling before a curly mop of hair entered the room. Harry froze as he saw Lottie, not knowing how she’d act round him. 'Erm…’ Harry stuttered. 'Hi, Lottie… You okay?’ he asked gently.

Lottie nodded, moving in the opposite direction as Harry moved towards the kitchen. Although Harry was technically her brother in law, she wasn’t entirely comfortable with a stranger in her life, although at the moment everyone felt like strangers. Fiddling with her thumbs, she watch as Harry entered the kitchen, moving around like he lived here. Edging for the stairs, she headed up them and knocked on Louis’ room door.

'Come in…’ Lottie slowly twisted the knob and stepped into the room, a small smile on her face. Louis smiled as he spotted her over the rim of his phone. 'Hey love, you okay?’ he asked, watching as she crawled onto his bed, laying in the spot Harry occupied a few minutes ago. 

'Yeah… I just want to ask…’ She trailed off, making Louis frown. 'What’s One Direction?’

Louis glanced at her, before closing his messages and locking his phone. Turning to her, he smiled. 'One Direction is my band. We got put together on this reality show called The X Factor. We came third, but we’re the biggest boyband in the world right now…’

Lottie frowned. 'What’s The X Factor?’

'A singing show. There were five of us, but one left us a few months ago and we don’t speak anymore. So now, it’s me, Haz, Liam and Niall! Brought us all closer, put it that way…’

Lottie bit her lip. 'Can I watch this X Factor with you on it?' 

Louis nodded. 'All our performances are on YouTube..’ he said, reaching under his bed for his MacBook and firing it up. Once he opened the Internet, he opened You tube and typed in One Direction, X Factor Journey. Propping the laptop up on his knees, he watched his sister closely, as she watched Louis’ journey with the band on the tiny screen. Lottie was so engrossed on the laptop, she didn’t notice Harry re-enter the room, a glass of water clutched in his hands. 

Harry raised an eyebrow at Lottie on Louis’ bed, but smiled. Setting the glass down, he slipped back under the covers and laid between Louis’ thankfully boxer clad legs, leaning over to see what she was watching. 'Oh god.’ Lottie jumped and clutched Louis’ laptop, her eyes wide with fear. 'Shit, sorry! I didn’t mean…’ he glanced at Louis’, who shook his head subtly. 'Sorry…’ Harry told Lottie, before he cuddled into Louis’ side, falling silent, all of them watching the screen playout the beginning of One Directions success…

* * *

 

Louis must’ve drifted off, because the next thing he knew, _No Control_   was blaring through his laptop on his iTunes account. His eyes flew open, seeing Lottie sat up straight, her eyes glued to the screen. Glancing down at his chest, he saw Harry fast asleep. He sighed, before gently and lightly tapping on Lottie on her wrist. 

Jumping, she clutched Louis’ laptop to her chest, while Louis’ held his hands up. 'Calm down, darling. I’m just wondering if you’ve been to sleep.’

Lottie shook her head. 'I’m not tired.’ she said, setting the laptop back down on her knees. As the next song came on, Louis sat up, setting Harry’s head onto his pillow. He watched as his husband stirred slightly in his sleep, before rolling over and starting to snore. Turning to his sister, he bit his lip. 'Lots… How would you like it if… I took you shopping later?' 

Lottie clicked pause on the song and looked at her brother. 'You mean, outside?' 

'Yeah… I could take you somewhere secluded, kind of. Trafford Centre? Westfield’s?’ he looked at Harry’s sleeping form. 'Cheshire Oaks…’

Lottie frowned. 'What are they?' 

'Shopping centres…’ Louis clarified. 

'But, I don’t have any money…' 

Louis smiled. 'Lottie, whatever you want, it’s on me…’ He held up a hand to stop her protests. 'Don’t even think of denying me the right to make up for ten years worth of birthday and Christmas presents.' 

Lottie looked slightly scared, but eventually nodded. 'Okay…’ she said, watching as Louis’ face lit up. 'Please can I wear your blue jumper? The one mum gave me the other day?’

Louis nodded. 'Of course you can…’ Lottie handed the laptop back to Louis and rushed to his closet, grabbing the aforementioned jumper. 'I’m going to have a shower… And then can we go?’

Louis checked his alarm clock. 'Um…'8.05am. 'Sure. We can grab breakfast there…' 

Lottie smiled and rushed from the room, going to claim the bathroom. Closing his laptop, Louis shuffled over to the side that Lottie had been occupying all night. He jumped as Harry rolled over and onto him, straddling him. 'You're going shopping with your sister?’ he asked, his voice scratchy from not using it for a few hours.

Louis nodded. 'Yeah. Going to be fun…’ He swallowed. 'If she says yes, do you want to come with?’

Harry smiled. 'Don’t worry. Just give me her clothing size and her shoe size and I’ll shop for some stuff for her by myself…' 

Louis smiled. 'That’ll be nice…’ Leaning up, he pulled Harry in for a kiss. 'You’re the best…’ he murmured, between kisses softly.

Harry smiled into their kisses. 'I try...'

* * *

 

After Lottie had finished her shower, she stepped out into the hallway, wrapped in her towel. Knocking on her Mum’s bedroom’s door, she waited for Johannah to open the door. Once she did, she raised an eyebrow at seeing her daughter stood outside her room so early in the morning. 'You okay, darling?’ she asked, yawning behind her hand.

'Mummy, please can you dry my hair? Louis’ taking me shopping.’

Johannah raised an eyebrow. 'Really?’ she questioned, making a mental note to talk her son before they left.

Lottie nodded enthusiastically. 'Yes! I can’t wait!' 

Johannah smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm. 'Okay, darling. Come on, then…’ Leading Lottie to her vanity table, she sat her daughter down and began combing her hair gently, spraying it with heat protection spray, before turning on her hairdryer. While her Mum dried her hair into loose curls, Lottie took note of some beauty products, some she remembered from when she was little. Seeing her Mum’s jewellery box, Lottie could see a silver necklace with a silver locket on, one she knew belonged to her Gran. Once her Mum had finished drying her hair, Lottie looked at herself in the reflection, smiling slightly, before her eyes drifted back to the locket.

'Mum, was that locket Gran’s?' 

Johannah nodded. 'She bought it when she went on holiday, shortly before you…’ Johannah cut herself off, gathering herself as she picked it up. Opening the locket, Lottie saw a small phone of herself, Louis, her Gran and Johannah. 'You’ll always have your family in your heart…’ Johannah told her softly, as she placed and fastened the necklace round Lottie’s neck. 

Lottie smiled as she lightly ran her fingers over the locket. 'It’s beautiful…’ she whispered, before smiling at her Mum in the mirror. 'Thanks Mum.'

* * *

 

Lottie headed down the stairs, her Mum’s UGG boots and jeans fitting her perfectly thanks to thick socks and a belt. She had her hands tucked into the pockets of Louis’ Adidas hoodie. She could hear her Mum giving Louis a prep talk, so she lingered on the stairs, near Harry. 'Are you coming with us?’ she asked, innocently, scratching her nose.

Harry glanced at her. 'Only if you want me to… I know you don’t know me, but I thought maybe you could get to know me a little bit more. Besides, I have a sister, slightly older than yourself, but I do have a good sense of fashion…’ He glanced to the living room door before glancing back at Lottie. 'Better than Louis’..' he winked at her, showing that he was joking, trying to lift the slight tension in the air.

Lottie giggled and smiled, before she broke out into full blown laughter. Harry wasn’t sure which bit was funny, but soon found himself laughing along. The living room door opened, Johannah and Louis looking at the scene in front of them. 'What have you said to her?’ Louis asked, his eyes narrowing at his husband.

'Nothing, baby..’ Harry told him, as the laughter faded away, naturally. 

Johannah smiled at her daughter. 'Oh darling… You look so grown up.’ she praised, making Lottie smile bashfully. 'Can I… Can I take a photo of you and Louis together?’ Johannah asked, watching Lottie closely. Lottie nodded and walked over to her brother, wrapping her arms round him tightly, surprising Louis pleasantly. 

'Is it okay, if I put my arm round you?’ he asked gently. Lottie nodded, as she smiled softly for the camera. Smiling widely, he pulled his sister close to him as his Mum snapped a few photos. Once she had finished the little photoshoot, they rushed over to have a look, cooing at the ones they liked.

'Darling, would it be okay if I posted these three to my Instagram account? It’s completely private. The only people that follow me are the Styles-Twist family, The Horan’s and The Payne’s… And the boys obviously… And your Dad and Dan and his family…’

 Lottie looked at Louis, who glanced a this Mum. 'Make you put that no one reposts the photo… Until this investigation is over, there’s going to be no photos of her anywhere online..’ he said, sternly.

Lottie frowned. 'What's Instagram?'

Louis looked at his sister. 'A social networking site. When I get you a phone, I'll download it for you. I have a feeling you'll love it.'

* * *

 

'Tell me again how you managed to get Westfield’s open only for us today?’ Harry asked, as he pulled into the back car park behind the massive shopping centre in London. 

Louis rolled his eyes. 'It’ll be open to the public later. This way, Lottie doesn’t have to deal with screaming fans wanting autographs and selfies. We can shop in peace…’

Harry sighed and shook his head with a smile, before climbing from the car. Reaching over, he opened the back door to the car to allow Lottie and Ali out. Shutting the door gently, he, Ali and Lottie followed Louis to the back emergency door, watching as he knocked twice, then once, then twice again. The door opened and Louis allowed them to pass before he stepped in and slammed the door closed.

'So…’ he asked, as they stepped out into the main shopping centre and stood in front of his sister. 'Where would you like to start?’ he asked, with a bright smile.

Lottie looked overwhelmed and looked at the stores, before looking at Louis. 'Somewhere where they sell… A-dee-dus…' she pronounced it wrong, but cutely, as she pointed to Louis' shirt.

'Adidas..’ Louis automatically corrected, watching as Lottie nodded. 'Okay, JD Sports it is…’ Louis looked at Harry. 'You coming with us?’ he asked knowing Harry wanted to try and surprise Lottie with some presents of his own. 

Harry shook his head. 'You guys go ahead. Text me when you want something to eat…’ he shot a silent meaning look to Louis, who nodded and held out his arm for Lottie, who giggled and took it before they walked off, Ali followed a few paces behind. Harry snapped a photo of his husband and sister in law, on his phone with a bright smile, before turning to the stores he wanted...

* * *

 

'So, Adidas is...' Louis led Lottie through the to Adidas collection before spreading his arms out. 'Here... Pick whatever you want...' he told her, watching as she looked round the store, marvelling at big it was. Watching as she slowly edged towards the jumpers, Louis shot her an encouraging look. 

Feeling more confident, Lottie lightly touched the fabric, her fingers trailing over the rails of jumpers and jackets. Picking up a royal red three striped jacket, Lottie turned to Louis. He walked over and checked the size, making sure it was the right one, an 8, before slinging it over his arm. 'Want anything else? When I said anything, I meant it...' he told her gently.

Lottie bit her lip, before picking up another three stripped jacket in blue and in pink, making sure they were the same size. Following Louis' encouraging smile, she added some Adidas Originals Tape Fleece shorts, five Logo jumpers in different colours, a pair of black three stripped leggings and then Louis led her over to the Adidas Superstar trainers. 'Which colour would like?' he asked, softly.

Lottie bit her cracked lip, torn between the white and baby pink pair. 'Which do you like best?' she asked them, quietly, pointing between the two. Louis shot her a look, and she picked them both up, checking the size. 'They're not my size...' she said, looking at Louis.

'Its okay.' Turning to the shop assistant behind him, he spoke. 'Do you have these in a size 5?'

The shop assistant nodded, disappearing to the back of the store, returning a few minutes later with two shoeboxes. 'There you go, darling.' She said, kindly, handing Lottie the boxes.

'Thank you.' she told her shyly, before stepping closer to Louis, with a bashful smile.

Ali watched them from a safe distance, watching their interaction with a warm smile. She only hoped that her son would be as loving to his baby sister when she was born, as Louis was to his. Smiling, she rubbed her stomach softly, feeling her daughter flutter beneath her fingertips.

Louis chuckled. 'Is that everything? Do you want to move on? To another shop?' Lottie nodded, following Louis to the counter, placing the shoeboxes down, as well as all the clothes. As they got scanned and put into bags, Lottie watched as the items added up. Louis saw her watching. 'Darling, it's absolutely fine. Don't worry about it...' he told her, reassuringly.

Once their items were all packed and paid for, Louis, Lottie and Ali stepped out of the store. 'Is there anywhere you want to go?' Lottie asked Louis softly.

Louis thought for a moment. 'I wouldn't mind getting some aftershave.' he said, as Lottie hooked her arm through his again, as they all began walking towards Debenhams.

Lottie looked round at all the stores, before one caught her eye. 'What's.. Inglot?' she asked, slowing to a stop.

'It's a makeup store. It's actually quite good, although I do prefer Urban Decay, Illamasqua and YSL for myself...' Ali said, before stepping closer to the store. 'Would you like to go in?' she asked Lottie gently.

Looking for Louis' permission, Lottie nodded once Louis nodded. 'If it okay with you, I'm just going to run to the toilet and go grab something from a store.' At Lottie's nod, he smiled in relief. 'Stay in there and don't leave...' he told them, before he rushed in the direction of the toilets, making sure Lottie had stepped into the makeup shop before taking a detour to the Apple shop.

* * *

 

It was more than half an hour when Louis returned. He saw Lottie and Ali stood outside the shop, a bag full of makeup clutched in Lottie's hand. 'Bloody hell!' he laughed. 'Have you bought the whole store?' he asked, as he joined them.

'No, Ali bought me it...' Lottie said, shyly, glancing at Ali through her hair.

Louis looked at Ali, slightly surprised at the FLO's generosity. 'Ali... Are you sure?'

Ali nodded. 'Out of everyone I've every helped get back on their feet, Lottie has to be one of the bravest ones I've helped, especially coming shopping so soon after coming home... She's pushing herself to settle back into a regular routine. That can be tough for some, but the way your family is, I'm not surprise at how quickly Lottie is settling in.'

Lottie looked at her. 'Is that a good thing?' she asked, looking between Louis and Ali, who both nodded.

'Of course it is... I mean, we could've done this online, but the fact that you agreed to come out, shows me that you're not going to let him win...' Louis told her, slinging his arm round her softly.

Lottie smiled and hugged him softly. 'Thanks Louis...'

'Where do you want to go now?'

Ali blushed. 'I was telling her about Victoria Secret...' 

Louis internally groaned. 'Okay... How about you two go and shop there and I'll wait outside, then come and get me when you've finished looking and I'll come and pay?'

Lottie frowned. 'Don't worry. You'll understand why Louis doesn't want to go in when you see the store...' Ali explained, gently, not wanting Lottie offended. Once Louis had persuaded Lottie to go with Ali, he leaned against the wall and fished out his phone, seeing his Mum's Instagram notification's. Clicking it open, he saw three blank spaces and then the top three photos of him and Lottie.

The first one had him and Lottie smiling softly, their arms wrapped round each other softly and gently. The second had both of their eyes closed, while the third had to be his favourite. He had just pressed a kiss to Lottie's head and she had looked up at him with a bright smile. He had smiled brightly back while they stared at each other and Johannah had managed to capture the moment perfectly.

Clicking on the photo, he liked and saved it, before commenting -  _Still can't believe this is reality again. So glad you managed to capture this moment, Mum! Love you X_

Opening up his Twitter account, he opened up a new tweet, before sending one out, cryptic but happy.  _I got the best present ever yesterday ! Keep an eye on my social media over the next few weeks ! X_

* * *

 

Johannah had just finished tidying the living room when a knock came to the front door. Humming _Perfect_ to herself, she headed towards it, before throwing it open, not expecting to come face to face with Carly and Liam. 'Oh! Hi guys. Come on in! I didn't expect to see you guys up here again...' she stood to the side to let them in. 'Can I get you a drink?' she asked, shutting the door gently behind them.

'No, thanks. Where's Charlotte?' Carly asked, seemingly business like.

Johannah frowned. 'She's gone out with her brother and Ali. They'll be back later. Can I help with anything?'

Liam and Carly sighed. 'Maybe you should sit down...' Carly told Johannah, who frowned and stepped into the living room, seating herself down on the sofa. 'Evidence has come to light... That Charlotte has been lying to us...'

Johannah's eyebrows shot up. 'Excuse me?'

Liam sighed, as he pulled out a folder. 'We had to check CCTV over the last few months, and this came to light...' Liam said, placing down three photos. Johannah stared at Liam and Carly before looking down at the photos. In each other, she could clearly make out Lottie in shopping centre, very clearly seeking out Paul, her captor. Bile rose in Johannah's throat as she reached the last one. 

Lottie and Paul holding hands, looking at each other like they were the only people in the whole world....

 


	11. Chapter 11

 

Johannah was wearing a hole in the carpet with the amount of pacing she was doing while waiting for Lottie, Louis, Harry and Ali to return. Dan sighed as she passed him for the thousandth time in a minute. 'Johannah, please, sit down...'

'Sit down? Sit down? There's a possibility that my daughter has been lying to me this whole time she's been back!' Johannah snapped at her husband, before sighing and running a hand through her hair.

'Dan's right. Sit down!' Mark said, from the armchair. When Johannah had rung him up, all she had said was that was about Lottie and that he needed to be there. He didn't expect to faced with the possibility of a lying daughter.

Johannah looked between her husband and her ex, before sitting down, avoiding the photos still on the coffee table.

'I know this might be a bit of a shock, but just remember that we don't know the whole story.' Carly said softly. 'We came to get the truth, okay... And the truth is what we'll get.'

A car pulling up in the driveway had Johannah jumping up and rushing for the door. Pulling it open, she watched as Louis scrambled from the passenger seat, frowning at the police car on the driveway. 'Mum?' he asked when he spotted her. 'What's going on?' he asked, flipping Harry's boot open, revealing the mountain of bags.

Johannah's mouth dropped. 'Have you bought the entire shopping mall?!' She shrieked, stepping out of the house and towards Harry's car. 'Let me help.' she said, grabbing a few Topshop bags in her hands and heading inside.

Once all the bags had been brought in, Louis stepped into the living room, freezing at the sight of Mark. 'Get out!' Louis shouted, pointing to window, indicating to outside. 'Get out! Why is he here?' he asked his Mum, his eyes blazing with anger. 

Johannah gathered up the photos and handed them to Louis, who flickered through them, his breath hitching on the last one. Slowly, he dragged his eyes up to Lottie, who was stood frowning besides the fireplace. 'What the hell is this?' he asked her, turning the photos round, so she could see.

Lottie's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. 'N- Nothing! It's nothing. Not even me!'

Louis recoiled slightly. 'Of course it is! It's very clearly you!' He watched as Lottie shook her head frantically. 'Don't lie to me!' he shouted furiously. Mark stood up to stop him, but Louis took a step back next to Harry. 'Stay. Away. From. Me!' he said lowly to Mark. He frisbee threw the photos back onto the table and folded his arms.

Lottie fiddled with her thumbs, biting her nail harshly. 'Maybe we could take this somewhere private?' Liam asked, seeing Lottie closing in on herself and that's not what he wanted.

'You're welcome to use my office again.' Dan spoke up, watching as Liam and Carly nodded and motioned for Lottie to follow them, Liam grabbing the pictures from the coffee table. Once the door closed, Dan sighed. 'Anyone for a cup of tea?' he asked.

'Is he having one?' Louis asked Harry, motioning to his Dad. Harry nodded. 'Then no. I'm going out.' Louis said, turning back to the front door and heading out, slamming it shut behind him...

* * *

 

'So... Whenever your ready, why don't you tell us about these?' Liam asked Lottie, gently. 

Lottie blinked, but stayed silent. There was no way she was going to speak about this if she could help it. He had always told her what would happen if she told anyone and she really didn't want that to come true. 

'Charlotte?' Carly questioned, leaning forward slightly, watching as Lottie shook her head.

'I'm not talking about them. So, you can leave...'

Liam and Carly glanced at each other. 'Charlotte, we need to know if you've been lying to us. You told us that he allowed you of the house once. Was this that day?' Carly asked, watching as Lottie eventually, reluctantly, nodded. 'When you got the passport photo done?' Another nod. 'Why didn't you try communicating-'

'You asked me that already... Back at the station!' Lottie said, her voice void of any emotion. 'Are we done here?' she asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. 'Because it's obvious I'm not going to answer your questions, so save your breath...' she told them, before getting to her feet and storming from the room.

Johannah looked up, as her daughter re-entered the living room, her eyebrows raising in surprise. 'Have you done already?'

'I haven't answered their questions and I'm not going to!' Lottie told her, heading for the stairs. Rushing up them, she ignored her mother's shouts of her name and disappeared into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her, resting her head against the door.

'Um..' Lottie whipped round at the voice. Seeing Harry in her room had her edge. 'I... I just brought all your bags up! The ones from Louis are there, mine are here and your makeup from Ali is on your vanity...'

'Oh...' She hadn't even realised the bags had gone from downstairs. 'Thank you...' 

Harry smiled. 'Would... Would like me to help you fold them? Hang them up?' Harry asked, softly. 

Lottie looked round at the mountain of bags littering her floor. It would take her hours to do it all by herself. Slowly, she nodded. 'Yes please...' she whispered, let out a sigh of relief as Harry sat on the vanity chair while she sat on the bed. They worked in silence for a while. 'How did you and Louis meet?' 

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise at hearing Lottie's voice. 'Um... I met him at The X Factor auditions. I peed on him in the toilets. Was mortified, but it's been history ever since...'

Lottie blinked. 'You peed on my brother? Like wee weed?'

Harry chuckled and nodded. 'It worked though... By the time we got put into the band, we were so close. He still takes the mick out of me now sometimes... Especially, when we're back at Wembley...'

Lottie frowned. 'What's Wembley?'

* * *

 

Louis shivered as he sat on the wall in the park. He had walked round aimlessly for an hour, before heading for the park and making a phone call. Although he a jacket on, his body was still getting used to been back in another continent. He yawned, before he tucked his hands into his jacket pockets, hunching in on himself, to keep warm. 

'Tommo!'

Louis sighed and looked up at Stan. 'Hey man. Thanks for coming.' he said, as Stan took a seat next to him.

'No problem. You okay?'

Louis sighed, before speaking. 'My sister's back. And that means Mark is back in my life as well...'

Stan looked at his best friend, shock written over his face. 'Charlotte's back? Lou, mate... That's amazing!'

Louis couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. 'I know. It's just... I haven't spoken to Mark in nearly seven years and I don't want to. But... I know that with Lottie back in picture-'

'You feel like you're going to be forced into having a relationship with your Dad again for Lottie's sake?' Stan asked, finishing Louis' sentence for him.

Louis nodded and sighed. 'I love my sister. I really do, but I won't be forced into reconnecting with my Dad for her. She wasn't around when he did what he did to me and Mum...' Louis sighed. 'Do you think she'll understand?'

Stan nodded and slung his arm round his best mate. 'Look, she can't force you to have a relationship with your Dad. Don't feel obligated just because your sister wants to reconnect with your Dad.'

'I feel guilty though. I robbed her and Mark of ten years worth of bonding, and he clearly wants to reconnect with her but she doesn't like been alone with anyone but me or Mum.'

'Louis, just give her chance.' Stan told him gently, before looking at him. 'You never know what's around the corner.'

Louis laughed emotionally. 'Don't I know it, mate?'

'Look, it took me a long time to forgive my Dad for he did, but that doesn't mean I've not forgotten. Even if it's just for show for your sisters sake.' Stan said, rubbing his hands together, trying to get some heat to them. 'But if you don't want a relationship at all, then that's fine too. You're doing brilliant without him, you've got your Mum, your sister and your husband... Would you benefit from having a relationship with Mark again?'

Louis shook his head. 'Not really. Like you said, I've got my Mum, I've got Harry and his family...'

'There you are then.' Stan checked his phone. 'Listen, I've got to go. Got a flight back to Vancouver tomorrow. Message me when you're there with the boys and we'll arrange something. Don't be a stranger.'

Louis smiled and hugged his best friend tightly. Stan was his first ever friend he made and it made him a bit sad that they weren't as close anymore. But life goes on and you grow and grow apart from people, but Louis always knew that Stan was only a phone-call away, if he ever needed him, tonight had proved that.

'Thanks mate. We'll go for a beer sometime, I definitely won't be a stranger, I promise.'

* * *

 

Unlocking the front door, half an hour later, Louis stepped into the house, hearing his Mum, Mark and Dan talking in the living room. Slamming the door shut to announce his return, he headed straight up the stairs to his bedroom. However, hearing giggling coming from Lottie's room, he froze. Pressing his ear to her door, he listened to his sister and Harry chat.

'What was he like? When you met him?'

'He was loud. You could hear him before you saw him...' Harry chuckled. 'Still can, but back then, he had a front up. He wouldn't tell any of us about you at first. Because when he eventually did, he broke down.' Harry sighed. 'I know you think Louis was angry at you earlier, and maybe he was but... You're his sister, darling. He wants to keep you safe...'

Louis knocked on the door then, slowly opening it up to reveal himself. 'Can I come in?' he asked Lottie, who nodded. Stepping into the room, he saw the empty bags all stacked up and ready to be re-used. 'Where's all...' He trailed off, as he looked round her room, which just needed some art on the walls. 

'We hung them up and folded them into my drawers. My shoes are in the wardrobe too. Look!' Lottie scrambled from her bed, flinging the doors to her large wardrobe open and standing onto the side. 'Harry sorted it out for me! I helped! I put these away...' She rushed to her chest of drawers which were next to Louis and pulled open every draw. 'Look!' Lottie smiled widely. 'Did I do okay? Is it organized enough?'

Louis frowned, before laughing slightly. 'Lottie, it's your room, why would I care if it's organized? Honestly, If I wasn't with Harry and I lived on my own, my flat would look like a bombsite...' 

Lottie frowned. 'But, I always have to make sure it's rightly organized, that way I can have a special treat.'

Louis froze as his eyes widened in horror and looked at Harry, who was mirroring his expression. 'Come... Come and sit down.' Louis said, taking Lottie by the hand and pulling her to the bed, sitting down on the edge. 'Lottie, listen to me. You don't need to organize everything neatly at home. You can have clothes on the floor, rubbish on your bedside table. We're not going to tell you off for it.'

Lottie frowned, confusion on her face. 'But, Paul said-'

'FUCK HIM!' Louis screamed, startling Lottie into Harry's arms. Harry looked shocked at Lottie hugging him tightly, but gently patted her back in comfort. 'Lottie.' Louis gently cupped her face, their blue eyes locking onto each other. 'Whatever that man told what you had to do, ignore it! Whatever he fed you was a load of bull-'

'Louis!' Harry warned, his eyes warning him to calm down. Sighing, he turned to Lottie. 'He's right, Lottie. You don't have to organize your room perfectly. You should organize it like you want it, not how anybody else wants it... I'll help you choose some art for the walls, if you like.'

Lottie bit her lip nervously. 'Will I still get a seat at the table if I have it like I want it?'

Louis choked on a sob, quickly rushing from the room, slamming his bedroom door shut. Harry made sure Lottie was okay, before he rushed after him, calling his name. Opening the door to Louis' bedroom, he saw Louis curled up in a corner, his arms round his knees. 'Baby...' Harry rushed towards him, pulling him into his arms. 'Baby, it's okay!' 

'It's not!' Louis cried, tears leaking from his eyes. 'Listen to her, Haz! He fucking starved her! He starved my little sister! Said she had to do everything his way if she wanted a special treat!' Louis sniffled. 

'Louis-'

'This is my fault! Everything is my fault. If I hadn't listened to them twats that day and allowed them to convince me she'd be okay with Brit, this wouldn't have happened!' Louis buried his face into Harry's chest, tears staining his chest. 'I'm the fucking worse brother ever!'

Harry pressed tight kisses to his husbands head. 'Baby, please... Don't-'

'Don't say don't blame myself!' Louis told him, his voice shot and croaky. 

Harry sighed and shut his mouth. 'You couldn't have known what was going to happen that day! You didn't know that-' He felt Louis' elbow hitting his stomach. Looking down, he saw Louis scratching his arm, more specifically his wrist, making the cuts bleed. 'Louis, stop it!' he shouted, grabbing his wrists in his hands. 'Stop it!' he ordered, loudly. Getting to his feet, Harry pulled Louis into the bathroom, Sitting him down on the toilet lid, Harry rinsed the washcloth in the sink, before wringing it out and gently dabbing away the blood.

Louis sniffled. 'I'm sorry...' he whispered, wiping his eyes with his free hand, hiccupping softly.

Harry stared down a this husband, before sighing. 'Stop apologising. It's okay. Look, I'm sure there's bound to more what Lottie's hasn't told us yet. But I'll be with you, all the way, I promise...' he said, pressing a kiss to his husbands lips lightly. 'How about we go out tonight just the two of us? Go for a meal somewhere?'

Louis smiled softly and nodded. 'That'd be nice...'

* * *

 

'Spaghetti Bolognese. Your favourite.' Johannah announced as Lottie, Louis and Harry stepped into the kitchen, later that evening. Louis and Harry were dressed semi smartly, while Lottie had on an oversized jumper with leggings on. 

Louis blinked, before wincing. 'Me and Harry have-'

Harry nudged him in the back, a silent move telling him to be quiet. 'Sounds great, Johannah.' He shot a look at Louis when he turned his head to look at him. 

Louis sighed and sat down, before glancing at Mark, who was sat opposite him. 'Why are you here?' he asked, as Harry sat down next to him.

'Louis..' Johannah warned firmly, with a sharp glance from where she was sat at the head of the table.

Louis bit his tongue and stabbed at his food. 'This is bull-' he muttered, only to be cut off his Mum.

'What?' Johannah asked, sending a final warning glance at Louis.

Louis levelled her glare, before backing down. 'Nothing.' Shoving a mouthful of food into his mouth, he chewed while glaring at Mark, who was avoiding his gaze. 'So...' he swallowed the mouthful of food, thinking back over Stan's words from earlier that night. 'What have you been up to, Mark?' 

Lottie frowned at her brother. 'Dad, you mean?' she corrected, taking a small bite of her food.

'Trust me, darling. He's no Dad to me...' Louis told Lottie flippantly, causing her to frown. 'But seeing how I'm obviously going to have to suffer through a meal with him, I might as well pretend that he's still my Dad...'

If looks could kill, Louis would six feet under, judging by the glare Johannah was casting at Louis.

'Louis...' Harry smiled tightly, gripping Louis' thigh tightly with his hand, sending him a silent warning. 'So, Mark... What have you been up to?' Harry asked, softly, taking a mouthful of food.

'Working, mainly...' Mark told Lottie. 'I'm still with the firm I was with when...' Mark trailed off, clearing his throat with a sigh. 'I know me and your Mum aren't together anymore, but I never stopping thinking about this day. When you'd return...'

Louis blinked, fire in his eyes. 'Don't think just because Lottie is back that you're going to worm your way back into this family...'

Lottie looked confused at her brothers words. 'What does that mean?'

Mark shook his head, but Louis carried on. 'It means since I walked in on Mark fucking his current wife in Mum's old bed, all them years ago, he's paid no attention to this family. In fact, he and Mum only started talking the other day, when you were found...'

Lottie's mouth dropped open as she stared at Louis, before slowing dragging her eyes to her Dad. 'Is that true?' she whispered to him.

Mark sighed before nodding. 'Yes, darling...' He reached out for Lottie's hand, but she snatched it back before he could touch her.

'You gave up on me, didn't you?' 

Mark shook his head a minute too late. 'Never, darling, I swear!' his tone didn't sound convincing, not even to himself.

'Don't lie to me!' Lottie shouted, tears trickling down her cheeks, before she glanced round the table, feeling the walls closing in around her. Shooting to her feet, she sprinted for the front door, throwing it open and rushing into the evening air...

* * *

 

Ignoring the screams of her brother as he followed her, Lottie ran down the driveway and private road, and out onto the streets of Doncaster. Feeling the wind in her long hair, she ran until her lungs burned and her brothers voice was long gone. She gathered her surroundings before looking round. She was at a lake, near a banking covered with trees. With her chest heaving, she sat down against the tree trunk, her head falling sideways as exhaustion took over her.

She was starting to wish she was back in her prison. At least then, her family wouldn't be acting like a happy one, well... Johannah and Mark wouldn't be acting like a happy ex couple. It was quite clear Louis didn't want any part of it, if Mark was going to be involved. Wiping away her tears, she curled up tighter, trying to reserve some body heat. She must've fallen asleep for a few minutes, before a voice startled her awake.

'Miss, are you okay?' Lottie gasped as someone touched her shoulder. Shrinking away from the touch, Lottie hid her face. 'Miss? Are you hurt?' the gentle voice asked.

'N... No, I'm fine..' Lottie stuttered out, peeking at the stranger from behind the curtain of her hair. 

'Can I contact anyone for you?' 

Lottie shook her head. 'N.. No, I'm fine. Seriously, please... Just leave me alone...'

'Can't do that, I'm afraid. My Mum would skin me alive if I left someone when they clearly need help...' 

Lottie sighed and slowly tucked her hair behind her ear. 'Who are you?' she eventually asked, quietly.

The stranger smiled. 'I'm Tommy. You?'

Lottie blinked. 'Charlotte, but people call me Lottie...'

Tommy smiled. 'Well, it's lovely to meet you, Lottie.' He held out a hand and Lottie looked at it blankly, before remembering that she was supposed to shake it. Gripping his fingertips, she shook it once, before dropping her hand back to her side. 'You look cold, May I give you my coat?'

Lottie shook her head. 'No, I'm not cold...' she scrambled back to her feet. 'I should be going... I think I've worried my family...' she said, before she scrambled back up the slight incline and through the trees, before she got back onto a main road. She was wondering which way to go, when a rustle behind her had her jumping, until Tommy emerged behind her.

'At least let me make sure you get home, okay. Or at least find your family. Can't you a pretty girl like you getting kidnapped...' He joked, not seeing the way Lottie tensed up and started shaking.

'LOTTIE!' Louis shouted, rushing down the street and gathering his sister in his arms. 'Don't ever do that again! Mum is fucking frantic with worry!' he gasped into her hair, before noticing Tommy. 'Who are you?' he asked, protectively, tightening his arms round his sister, who's head was hanging low in shame and disappointment. 

'I'm Tommy. I found your sister by the lake... I was about to help her home when you turned up...'

Louis eyed him suspiciously before slowly nodding his head. 'Yeah...' he said, slightly unconvinced. 'Thanks mate, but I've got it from here...' Kissing his sister's head once more, he headed off, keeping Lottie in his arms tightly, whispering gentle words into her hair and ear as they made their way home...

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

* * *

 

Louis awoke the next morning, to the bright sky peeking through his curtains. Blinking away his sleep, he stretched his muscles before sitting up, pouting at the lack of Harry in the room, or more specifically, in his bed. Throwing back the covers, he pulled on a pair of boxers, catching sight of himself in the mirror. 

His eyes were still swollen after Johannah had screamed at him for ruining what was supposed to be a lovely evening, before telling Lottie to never give her another scare like that again. Louis had bolted up the stairs, hating that he had disappointed his Mum, but on the other hand, annoyed that Johannah could think that he could tolerate been in the same room as Mark after ten years. He almost closed the door behind him, when Harry had slipped into the room, holding him close to his chest. He had ended up crying himself to sleep, a mixture of emotions running through him.

Groaning, he yawned and headed for his door, before descending the stairs. Swinging himself round the banister, he stopped when he saw Lottie crawling on the kitchen floor. Fear hit Louis in the stomach and he was about to shout out to her, when he saw her get up on her knees, to peek at Harry, who was busy making something at the stove on the opposite end of the kitchen with his back to her, before grabbing the almost empty chocolate batter bowl. A devilish grin crossed Louis' face. Flapping his hand, he motioned for Lottie to quickly come to him with the bowl. Lottie grinned, quickly getting to her feet and rushing towards Louis, before Harry saw them. 

Silently rushing back up the stairs, they giggled as they headed into Lottie's room, passing Johannah on the way, who looked confused, before shaking her head with a smile when she saw what they had got. Allowing them to pass, they shut the door behind them, giggling as they rushed to Lottie's corner of the room and sat down. 

'Right, there's no spoons... so we'll have to use our-' Louis himself off as Lottie swiped her hand round the bowl, the remains of the batter sticking to her fingers before she licked it off her fingers. Louis laughed brightly. 'Use our hands...' Shaking his head with a smile, he swiped his finger round the bowl and stuck it in his mouth.

'This is good...' Lottie complimented, swiping her fingers and popping it into her mouth.

'The leftover batter from the bowl is always the best bit...' 

Lottie nodded. 'Remember when Mum made us that Chocolate Cake for getting the parts we wanted in our school plays when I was like five? She couldn't find us and we were hid under the table with spoons and the chocolate batter that was left over in the bowl?'

Louis looked confused before the memory spiked in his brain. 'Oh yeah!' he burst out laughing. 'I've got a photo of that somewhere... We had chocolate beards as well...' Lottie giggled, and the sound was like music to Louis' ears. 'I've missed that sound.' he said, softly, making Lottie smile and look back to the batter. Footsteps heading up the stairs caught Louis' ears. 'Uh oh..' he said, before grabbing the bowl and hiding it under Lottie's raised bed.

A knock at the door sounded and opened when Lottie allowed them in. 'Morning...' Harry greeted, smiling at Louis sitting with Lottie curled into his side. 'You haven't seen a mixing bowl anywhere... Have you?'

Louis looked confused and shook his head. 'I haven't been downstairs yet, so I don't now what you're talking about...' he lied, his eyes sparkling with mischief. 

'Lottie? Have you?' 

Lottie glanced at Louis, before shaking her head. 'Nope...' she said, popping the 'p' as she spoke. 

Harry sighed. 'Well... You're down a mixing bowl, so...' Harry pressed his lips together, to stop from laughing. The evidence was round Lottie and Louis' mouths. 'I'll see you downstairs...' he said, before he exited the room, smiling as he shut the door and heard the brother and sister sniggering.

Grabbing the bowl back out, they finished off the batter, before Louis grabbed his phone from his pocket and snapped a photo of the empty bowl, Lottie's hair visible slightly, as her head was on his shoulder.

Sorry harrystyles. I lied... It was yummy though. the leftover batter is always the best bit...

Lottie watched as he turned the photo black and white and posted it to his Instagram. 'Can I do that? On my phone?' she asked, reaching for hers that was on the bedside table.

'Yeah, I'll show you. I'll set you a social media account, but I'm going to put it on private until Paul is caught. So, the only people who can follow you, are the ones who you accept. Like me, Mum...'

Lottie nodded in understanding, her eyes focused on the screen as Louis gave her a crash-course in working social media.

* * *

 

'Louis, come away from the window. She has literally only just left.' 

Louis bit his lip and looked shoulder at his husband. 'I know, I just...' Louis sighed. 'The last time she left the house with someone other than me, she didn't come back for ten years.' he told his husband before turning back to look through the window.

Harry sighed, before getting to his feet. Heading over to Louis, he tipped Louis' head back and kissed him deeply, before kissing down his neck. 'Come to bed with me...' Harry whispered, pulling from the window and leading him upstairs. 

Pushing the door open and closed, Harry walked Louis into the room, before spinning him round and kissing him deeply. Stripping each other of their clothing, Harry gently pushed Louis onto his bed, climbing on top and pressing their bodies together, their lower halves finding the friction the were both chasing.

A few minutes later, Harry let out a shout o pleasure, his hand slamming onto the wall above Louis' headboard. 'God... Baby...' His hand hit the pillow next to Louis' head, before moving it to cup Louis' cheek and pressing a steamy kiss to his husbands lips, before Louis pulled him down on top of him, groaning in pleasure at his husbands weight on top of him.

'That was so needed...' Louis gasped out, his hands stroking Harry's curls as he did.

'Yeah... Well, you clearly needed a distraction...' Harry whispered, before he slipped out of Louis and pulled his husband into his arms.

'I wanted to go with her. Make sure she was okay...' Louis whispered, playing with his husbands necklace.

After Lottie and Louis had made an appearance downstairs with the mixing bowl, it was almost time for Lottie's first counselling session. So, when Johannah had told Louis to stay at the house instead of going with them, he hadn't taken it so well.

'I know you did, baby... But, maybe your Mum wanted to have a little bit of Mum and Daughter time as well? I mean, ever since she's been back, she's spoken more to the police and us two rather than your Mum...' Harry said, gently.

Louis sighed. 'I know... I just... I don't want to let her out of my sight, in case...'

'Nothing is ever going to happen to her again, I-'

Louis quickly put a hand over Harry's mouth, his mouth set in a firm line. 'Don't say 'I promise', understand?' Harry nodded quickly.

Removing Louis' hand, he spoke. 'I'm sorry...' Harry sighed. 'I just don't want you worrying every time she goes out of the door...'

Louis sighed. 'I know... I'll work on it...' he said looking up at Harry. 'Promise...' he said, smiling.

Harry down at him, smiling, before connecting their lips together again. 'Mm, you're insatiable...' Louis muttered, as Harry rolled on top of him and pulled the duvet over their heads, ready for round two...

* * *

 

Johannah stared at her lukewarm coffee, while her daughter sat opposite her, stirring her tea repeatedly. 'Would you like anything to eat, darling?' Johannah asked, gently. 

Lottie shook her head, from under the large hood of Louis' oversized green hoodie, she had stolen from his room earlier. 'No, I'm fine, thank you.'

Johannah nodded and looked out of the window. 'How was the session? Did you like your therapist?'

Lottie nodded. 'She seemed okay...' she said, taking a sip of her tea. 'I didn't really speak to her if I'm honest. I just... didn't talk...'

'It's okay. It takes a few sessions to completely open up...' Johannah reassured her, with a soft smile.

Lottie scratched her nose before looking at her Mum. 'Have you ever had... Have you ever seen a counsellor?' she asked, timidly.

Johannah shook her head. 'I haven't but Louis has...' she sighed. 'I'd ask him about it, but... It took him a few sessions to open up, I know that. Everyone has different rates at when they can open up. Some people can do it straight way, so others take a few sessions... You need a build a trust between you and your therapist.'

'Is that what Louis did?'

Johannah nodded. 'She ended up on tour with him a few months ago. He was in a bad state of mind...'

'Why does he have bandages on his wrists?' Lottie asked, after a few minutes of silence and wondering what the best way was to bring up the question.

Johannah sighed. 'Louis... He doesn't have to best way of coping with emotions when they're really, really strong, and sometimes he hurts himself... Rather than calling Helen or Harry or me instead...' Johannah told her, softly and quietly.

'Is he hurting now?' Lottie asked, draining her cup of tea. 'Can we get him something so he doesn't hurt anymore?'

Johannah smiled. 'Like what, darling?'

Lottie faltered. 'Um... I don't know... What does he like?' she asked, disappointed that she didn't know that.

'He like Adidas, chocolates...' Johannah trailed off, with a smile.

'Can we get him them?' Lottie asked, her blue eyes begging. 'From me to him?'

Johannah smiled and nodded her head. 'Sure. Let me finish my coffee and then we'll go into town...'

The smile that Lottie gave her was the best present she could have...

* * *

 

Early evening fell, casting golden rays throughout the house. Dan, Johannah and Lottie had returned home at the same time. Stepping from the car, Dan smiled at his wife and step daughter. 'Evening, ladies.' he greeted warmly. 'How was your session, Lottie?' he asked, gently.

While Lottie wasn't entirely comfortable with Dan in the house yet, she had told her Mum that it wasn't fair he was staying at his sisters when this was technically his house too, so after a long chat with her Mum, Lottie allowed her Mum to tell Dan he could come back. Dan had made absolutely positive that it was what Lottie had wanted, before he accepted the invitation to move back home.

'It was okay...' she said, pulling her Adidas bag off the backseat and rushing for the front door. 'Louis... Louis...' her voice faded as she disappeared into the house.

Johannah chuckled at her daughter's excitement, heading into the house with Dan's arm round her waist. Heading into the kitchen, they saw Lottie bouncing up and down in excitement as she handed Louis her gift for him. Frowning slightly, he accepted the gift before opening the box that Johannah had bought for Lottie to present Louis' present in. 

'Awww sweet! Ooh! Chocolate as well... Nice! Thank you, darling, but what's this for?' Louis asked, pulling Lottie in for a soft hug. 

'Mum said that you were hurting... So, I wanted you to be happy instead!'

'I'm not hurting...' Louis told her, a frown on his face. 'What do you mean?'

'The bandages on your...' Lottie trailed off, terrified she'd overstepped the mark. 'I'm sorry, I thought-'

It was then that Louis realised what she was talking about, 'No, no... It's fine. It's fine...' Louis reassured her, a soft smile on his face. 'Thank you...' 

'What's all this?' Dan asked, looking at the kitchen table, which was set with cutlery, plates and a vase of lilies.

'Oh, we cooked a chicken dinner. To say sorry for last night...' Louis said, folding the jumper back up and placing it back in the box and putting it in a safe place. 'Okay, sit down... It's nearly ready!'

* * *

 

'You okay?' Liam asked Carly, as he drove through the streets of Doncaster.

Carly shook her head. 'I never want to see a human...' she trailed, willing herself not to throw up again. Her grip tightened round her water bottle that Liam had stopped off to grab for her.

Liam took one hand off the wheel and stroked the back of Carly's neck. 'You want me to pull over?' he asked, not wanting her to throw up in his car.

Carly shook her head and Liam watched as her eyes hardened and her walls went up. 'Let's just get this over with...' she said, watching as he indicated to the private road that lead to the Tomlinson household. Pulling up at the house, Liam stepped out of the car and headed for the front door, raising his fist to knock on it.

It took a few seconds for the front door to swing open, to reveal Harry. 'Oh... Um... Hi?'

'Is Charlotte in?' Carly asked, leaving no room for arguments. Harry nodded and motioned for her to come in. 'Where is she?'

Harry frowned. 'Kitchen...' he said, trailing off and following Carly and Liam into the kitchen, where everyone went silent. 'What's this about?' he asked, watching Carly closely.

'Oh god, what now?' Johannah asked, setting her knife and fork down. 

Carly produced a pair of handcuffs, heading to where Lottie was sat, between Ali and Louis. 'Charlotte Elizabeth Tomlinson, I'm arresting you for the murder of Derek Hart. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.' 

'WHAT?!' Louis' chair crashed to floor as a silent and pale Lottie was pulled from her chair and had the cuffs attached to her wrists. 'Lottie... Lottie, it'll be okay! I find a lawyer, I promise!' Louis shouted, as Lottie was led from the house, Johannah and Dan following, protesting and arguing with them. 

* * *

 

Lottie had gone mute. She knew her face was drip white, and that Carly was talking to her as they headed to the police station, but she wasn't listening. If they had found Derek's body, then that means Paul would know and that means she would lose her family again. The threats he made the day it happened, suddenly came back loud and clear in her head.

_'You ever tell anyone what just happened and I swear, you'll be sorry! You'll be the one who ends up with no family! And this time it will be permanent!'_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All will be explained in the next chapter! Can't wait to start writing it! Much love!


	13. Chapter 13

 

* * *

 

Lottie gazed at the passing scenery, pouting as the car rolled to stop outside Doncaster Police Station. She watched as Liam and Carly climbed from the car, Liam reaching for the door handle of her side and opening her door. Stepping from the car, Lottie was lead into the Police station and towards the front desk. She sighed with relief as the cuffs came away.  After Liam had booked her in, she re- printed her prints, had her DNA swabbed from her mouth again and had a strand of hair cut away. It felt like the other day, when she had been found. After that, she waited with Liam and Carly until an interview room was opened up. Playing with a piece of thread on Louis' jumper, she was led into a grey coloured interview room, where she sat down at the table. Thinking Liam and Carly had followed her in, she jumped when the door shut heavily and she realised she was alone. 

'Liam?' she spoke out loud, hoping he was stood outside. 'Is anyone coming?' she asked, when no one answered or entered the room. She could feel the shakes coming, as well as the tears.

Watching through the two way mirror, Liam and Carly watched as Lottie kept looking over her shoulder, both knowing she was looking for them. 'You've been on this job nearly 36 hours straight, your boss tells me...' said Gary, the lead Detective on the case at the Doncaster station. He turned to look at them both. 'Are you both good for this, or not?' he asked, seriously.

'Yes, Sir.'

'Of course, Sir!'

Gary eyed them both closely before he nodded once and left the room. Taking a deep breath, Liam sighed and exited the room, following Carly into the room where Lottie was. Opening the door, he watched as Lottie jumped slightly at the noise. They were both silent as they sat down in front of Lottie, both of their expressions neutral.

Carly sighed and pressed record on the tape recorder. 'I'm Detective Sergeant Carly Moxam, joined by...'

'Detective Inspector Liam Stabler.'

'We're here to interview Charlotte Elizabeth Tomlinson on the suspicion of murder. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do may be given in evidence. You do have the right to legal representation. Would you like to take that right?'

Lottie's eyes were shining bright with unshed tears. 'I don't know who I'm supposed to have murdered!' she lied, her hands shaking. 

'Charlotte, answer the question..' Liam told her, firmly, referring to the legal representation question.

'No, I don't!' her eyes flickered to Liam. 'What's going on?'

'We found him, Charlotte...'

Lottie froze, trying to avoid the questions as best as she could. Playing dumb, she answered. 'Him? Paul? So, it's over?' 

'Not him...' Carly answered.

'We found Derek!'

Lottie kept eye contact with Liam, determined not to back down and give them what they wanted. However, when Liam picked up an envelope and placed down photos of the remains of the human skeleton they had found, Lottie struggled to keep her food down. However, the last photo of the human skull, eye sockets hollow and empty had her choking on her tears, before letting out a scream and shoving the pictures from the table, tucking her face into her arms and letting her tears free...

* * *

 

'She's not answering her phone!' Louis growled, as he redialled his Mum's number. 'Why isn't she answering?' 

'Louis! Sit. Down!' Harry ordered, grabbing his husband by the waist and pulling him onto the sofa. 'When Johannah gets a free minute, I'm sure she'll let you know.'

'They've been gone an hour! Surely Lottie has been read her rights by now!' 

'Louis-'

'I know I'm doing your head in, but they just came in here and arrested her for murdering someone?! Look at her, Haz! She doesn't have a murderous bone in her body! She won't let Mark or Dan hug her.' Louis screamed. 'Do you really expect me to believe the fucking police over my blood?'

'Louis!' Harry screamed, silencing Louis. 'You don't know what happened in that cellar! None of us do, apart from her! She was missing for ten years, desperate for an escape. We don't know what lengths she went to, to achieve that!'

Louis slowly pushed Harry's hands off him and stood up, turning to face him. 'What are you saying?' he asked, lowly, a warning in his voice.

'I'm saying... Let's just wait for Johannah and Dan, before you run off for our legal team!'

Louis opened his mouth, aiming to reply, when his phone pinged with a message from Johannah.

_Lottie's turned down legal representation. Do not do anything until I contact you! X_

* * *

 

After Lottie's little breakdown, Liam and Carly allowed her a little time to gather herself together. Scratching her knee, she whispered an 'I'm sorry...' into the air. 'I'm sorry... I'm sorry...' she whispered again, tears slipping down her cheeks. Turning her chair sideways, she was faced with a brick wall. Counting the cracks silently in her head, she let Carly words wash over her.

'Charlotte... I'm going to go over some dates with you.. Is that okay?' Following Lottie's silence, Carly continued. '2008, year three of your captivity... We have a witness, placing Derek outside Doncaster Primary School, looking for his half brother, Paul White... Derek's post mortem, gives us 2011 as his date of death.' Carly swallowed, ignoring the bile that rose slightly in her throat as images of the skeleton popped up again. 'You know that we found his body behind a cellar wall, the cellar that you were kept in... Charlotte, this gives us three years in which we can presume that Derek was known to you... Possibly, even lived down there with you... Did he?' Carly asked, trying to catch Lottie's eyes as she spoke.

Liam watched Charlotte closely. He knew she had closed herself off, but the fact that she had gone mute slightly worried him.

'Charlotte, did Hart act as an accomplice with White in your abduction?' Carly asked, only to be met with silence. Sighing, she closed her eyes and counted to ten, before getting to her feet and moving her chair, so she was sat in front of Lottie, who jumped at her sudden appearance. 'Charlotte, by not answering our questions, you do realize that we're going to have to charge you with-'

'The back of Derek's skull was missing...' Liam suddenly spoke up, gazing at the girls. 'Like it had been caved in. Do you know how much force you have to have to be able to do that to someone?' Slamming his fist down onto the table, he startled both Lottie and Carly. 'The animal that did that... could be walking them streets out there! Possibly looking for someone else! From his records, Derek was 23 when he died...' Liam trailed off as he saw Carly's furious glare, directed at him.

Furious knocking came to the door, causing Carly to groan in annoyance. Storming to her feet, she swung the door open to find Gary stood outside. Beckoning her and Liam to follow him, he headed into the room next door to where the interview was taking place. Shutting the door behind them, he turned to the DS and DI.

'The results on the sheeting that you found Derek's body in are back.'

'Please tell me it's a match for White!' Liam said, not wanting to believe what his gut was telling him.

'It's a match... To Charlotte.' Gary said, causing Liam to freeze and slowly drag his eyes to Gary and then to Lottie, staring at her through the two way mirror.

'Oh god...' Carly whispered, rubbing her head as the start of a headache decided to greet her...

* * *

 

Johannah let out a horrified shriek and clamped a hand over her mouth. Besides her, Dan spoke. 'What you're saying, this doesn't make sense!' he said, firmly.

'I appreciate that...' Carly said, softly

'Are you sure?' Johannah choked out. 'Are you absolutely sure it's her DNA?' she asked, not wanting to believe her daughter was a killer.

'It's Charlotte's DNA...' Liam confirmed, firmly. 'There's no other forensic evidence that anyone other than Charlotte was involved in Derek's death.'

Dan frowned. 'Have you seen the girl? She's not capable of that!' he said, shaking his head.

Carly sighed. 'Unfortunately, unless Charlotte tells us her version of events, we're going to have to charge her with the murder...' she said, before getting to her feet and heading for the door, needing another coffee.

'All she has been through and you dare do this?' Johannah snarled, suddenly.

Liam sighed. 'The fact still remains. If Charlotte keeps refusing to answer our questions... Then, it's out of our hands.'

Johannah shook her head and got to her feet, determined to get her daughter to speak. 'She's my daughter. Let me speak to her...' 

* * *

 

Stepping into the interview room, Johannah looked her daughter in the chair. She was resting her folded arms on the table, her head propped up on them, facing away from the door. 'Lottie?' At her mother's voice, she moved her head to bury her face into her arms. Resting out to stroke her shoulder, she felt hurt when Lottie recoiled from her touch. 'It's okay, darling... It's okay.' Walking over to the seat that Carly had occupied, half an hour earlier, Johannah sat down, glancing at the mirror, knowing Liam and Carly and Gary were watching her on the other side.

'Everything that is said in that room, is off record... Do you both understand?' Gary said, glancing between the two.  

'Yes, Sir.' Carly answered, for both of them, watching as Gary exited the room, leaving the two by themselves. Swallowing dryly, she spoke. 'I never tell my mum anything. Well, if I can help it...'

Back in the room, Johannah started speaking. 'Lottie, the police have told me what they think they've found. And it's... It's horrible. And you don't want to talk about it.' Lottie's sobs filled the room, Louis' jacket stained with tears. 'But, you know... That you can tell me anything... Anything at all...' Johannah swallowed her sobs, determined to stay strong. 'About what you've been through, I mean... None of us can know how that feels, my darling... Or even, what it can push you to do.' Staring at her sobbing daughter, whose eyes were locked onto hers. 'Whatever you've done, I don't care what it is... I will still love you, just as much as the day you were born.' 

Lottie sniffed and slowly brought her head up, her eyes heavy. 'Promise?' she asked, in a small voice.

Johannah nodded. 'I promise you, darling.' 

Lottie choked out a breath. 'He's dead because of me.' she spluttered out, tearfully. 'He's dead because...' Lottie trailed off as the sobs overtook her body. Falling forward into her mother's arms, Johannah hugged her daughter tightly, smoothing her hand through her daughter's hair, trying to calm her down. 'You hate me, don't you?' Lottie cried.

Johannah shook her head. 'No, I promise you. I don't.' She told her daughter firmly. Once Lottie gently pulled away from her, she connected their gaze again. 'Tell me what happened.' Johannah asked gently.

'Derek...' Lottie's bottom lip wobbled dangerously. 'He was kind.' she sobbed, her voice teary. 'Once, he was left in charge. Of the house. Of me. He let me out. Mummy, I almost made it! I almost made it out of there!' She took a shaky breath in and continued. 'But, Paul came back and pushed me over. I fell and he grabbed Derek. And he got his head...' Lottie's voice broke as she spoke. 'And he...' She trailed off, not wanting voice the words out loud, so she motioned the action of slamming a head against the wall repeatedly. 'When he finally stopped, Derek was dead!'

Johannah swallowed the bile in her throat. 'Paul White killed Derek?' she clarified.

Lottie nodded. 'Mummy, he was my friend. If I hadn't have run... Derek would still be alive.' Lottie sniffled. 'I'm a monster, aren't I?'

Johannah shook her head quickly and stroked her daughter's hair away from her face. 'You most certainly are not. You are my beautiful little girl.'

Lottie slowly dragged her eyes back to her Mum's face. 'Paul said if I ever told anyone about that... Told you... I would end up with no family and that he'd make it permanent.' 

'He's going to have a fight on his hands if he tries to come anywhere near us. We will protect you to end of the earth if he steps foot anywhere near any of us.' Johannah told her, before her daughter fell back into her arms, sobbing violently...

* * *

 

Liam leaned forward on the table in front of him, letting Lottie's version of events wash over him. Besides him, Carly took a shaky breath in and discreetly wiped a tear away, before following Liam out of the room and back to the interviewing room where Lottie and Johannah were. Knocking on the door, they entered the room and sat down in front of the mother and daughter.

'I assume you heard every word, then?' Johannah asked, her grip tightening on Lottie's hand.

Carly sighed and switched back on the radio. 'Interview resumed at 8.34pm. Present in the room- DS Moxam, DI Stabler, Charlotte Tomlinson and Johannah Deakin. Can you explain to us then, Charlotte, how your DNA ended up on the sheeting that covered Derek's body?'

Lottie took a few minutes to get her thoughts together, aiming to not shed anymore tears. 'After...' Lottie took a breath. '... It was so quiet. White was sick on the floor.' Lottie face scrunched up at that, as if she could smell it there and then. 'He couldn't look at what he'd done.'

Carly and Liam looked at each other. 'What happened next?' Liam asked, gently.

Lottie stared at the table, a lone tear trickling down her cheek. 'He made me pour bleach over the body.' She choked out, making eye contact with Liam. 'Then cover... Cover the... Cover his face...' Her voice became strained. 'Told me to wrap it up... So, he'd never have to see it again...' she spat out, sniffling lightly. 

Carly looked pale as she nodded. 'Thank you, Charlotte, for doing that.' she told her gently, before looking at Liam, having a silent conversation with him.

Liam nodded. 'Derek's role... Up to that point... Was he an accomplice with White on May the 2nd, 2005? When you were abducted?'

Lottie's lips pressed together and she looked at Liam, her eyes hard. 'No. He wasn't.' she told him clearly.

'Then, when did you meet Derek?' Carly asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

'That day. When I was taken to the house...' Lottie answered, wishing she was back home in her bed.

'Was Derek complicit in your continued imprisonment?' Lottie shook her head. 'Then, why didn't you mention him? At all in any of your interviews you've had with us or the Doncaster Police? Especially when they interviewed you about the events leading up to your escape?' Carly asked, firm but gentle. 'This makes everything you've said to us inadmissible in court, marks you out as a false witness...' 

'I couldn't...'

'Why not?'

'Because you'd know!' Lottie said, raising her voice slightly.

'That White murdered his own brother?' Carly asked.

'It was supposed to be for just us to know! No one was supposed to know!'

Carly sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking over at Liam, who took over with the questions. 'How often did you see Derek?' he asked.

Lottie smiled slightly. 'If I had been a good girl, he was allowed to see me. I liked those days. They were good ones.' she said, her voice small, like a little girl telling a fun story. 'He'd even bring his Game Boy, but he only had Tetris... Which got a bit boring after a while...' she admitted, a slight smile on her face. 

'He... He didn't even make an attempt to go to the police or... Do anything?' Liam asked, confused to why someone would visit a hostage and not do anything about it. 

'He was terrified...' Lottie admitted, tiredly.  

'Of us? The Police?' Carly asked, jumping in.

Lottie frowned and shook her head. 'Of White. He wasn't the kindest half brother around.' Lottie sniffled before tears suddenly spilled over her cheeks. 'Derek always used to say that his Mother had given up on him and that...' she broke off before she took a deep breath. 'He always said that... His brother saved him. That's what Derek always said...' Lottie took a deep breath, before finishing off her sentence. 'My brother saved me... Was the exact wording...'

* * *

 

'What's next?' Liam asked Gary, as he stepped into the office, Carly following behind him with a much needed coffee clutched in her hand. 

'Well, Derek's body has power. There's only one other person who knows Charlotte's secret...'

'White.' Carly said, taking a sip from the coffee in her hand. 'We release the information about the body been found to the press. Pushing him into making mistakes.'

'We leave Charlotte out of it...' Liam warned them. 'The poor girl has been through enough...'

Heading down the corridor, Johannah opened the door to the waiting room, where Dan was still waiting. Dan got to his feet as the girls stepped in to the room. Lottie sniffled and felt a wave of admiration sweep over her for Dan. Stepping closer to him, she gently patted him on the back. 'Thank you... For staying.' she told him softy, before sitting down on the couch opposite Dan.

Dan felt warm at the hug from Lottie. He smiled gently at her. 'You're welcome. You're my family. Maybe not by blood, but... We're still a family. And we'll all be here for you, no matter what happens.' he told her firmly, watching as she smiled sleepily. 

They were all about to nod off, when the door opened and revealed Carly and Liam. Johannah tensed and grabbed her daughter's hand. 'Charlotte, you're free to go.' Carly told the room, with a smile.

Lottie got to her feet, finally glad to be going home. 'I'm sorry. That I didn't mention him earlier...'

Liam nodded and held up a bag. 'Your possessions.' He said, watching as Dan headed for the door. 'Erm.. If I could have... I need a moment with Charlotte to sign for her... Things.' Liam said, ignoring Carly questioning gaze. Once the family and Carly left the room, Liam stepped closer to Lottie, handing her the bag. 'I wanted to say sorry, for scaring you earlier, back in the interview room.'

'Where do I sign?'

Liam sighed and handed Lottie the clipboard, watching as she signed her signature, before she left the room and Liam, behind...

* * *

 

The sound of a key turning in the lock, had Louis shooting up from the sofa, disrupting Harry's slumber. Louis stood in front of the door, bouncing on his feet. He watched as Dan stepped into the house with a sleeping Lottie in his arms. Louis let out a quiet cry of relief, taking his sister from Dan's arms and carrying her upstairs to her bedroom to tuck her in and make sure she was safe.

Harry watched Johannah closely, as she shut the front door and headed straight for the kitchen, switching on the TV to a news report. 

_'A few moments ago, the Chief Superintendent of Doncaster Police released this following statement. ''The body of a 23 year old man has been identified as missing person Derek Hart. His half brother, kidnapper Paul White is suspected of his murder''.'_

Harry's mouth dropped open. 'Oh my god, what-' he cut himself off as Johannah poured herself a large glass of red wine, downing most of it in one large gulp. 'Johannah?' he asked, knowing his mother in law didn't drink like that unless something was troubling her. 'What's happened?' he asked, stepping in front of her and clutching her shoulders.

'Harry...' Johannah suddenly broke down, tears spilling down her cheeks. Harry looked alarmed and quickly pulled her in a hug. 'Harry, what she went through... I don't know how she... My baby girl is so strong.' she sobbed into her son in law's shoulder, the entire night crashing down on top of her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter ever, I think!
> 
> Much love! X


	14. Chapter 14

 

* * *

Carly stood under spray of her hot water, allowing it to thunder down on her back, like a well needed massage. Swiping her hands through her wet hair, she shut off her shower and wrapped a towel round herself, tucking it in at the top. Padding her way through her flat, she changed into her pyjamas’ before heading through to her living room, startling a bit at seeing Liam sat on her sofa, snoring away. Deciding against waking him up, she headed for the kitchen, switching on the kettle as she did so. Letting out a yawn, she reached into the cupboard for a mug. 

Yawning again, she spun round, coming face to face with Derek’s skeleton slumped against the wall. Dropping her mug with a shriek, Carly blinked several times, frantically trying to get rid of the image.

‘Carly?! What happened? Are you okay?’ Liam questioned, as he dashed into the kitchen to see his partner cowering against the counter.

Carly pointed to the wall. 'I… I saw-’ She let out a tired breath and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes.

Liam frowned and picked her up, ignoring her shouts of freedom. 'I'm not having you cut up your feet!’ he told her firmly, depositing her on the sofa. 'Now, stay there and I’ll make your cup of tea.’ Liam told her, leaving no room for arguments before he disappeared back into the kitchen.

Carly sighed and yawned again, knowing it wouldn’t long before she drifted off to sleep. She was almost there when Liam sat down next to her, jostling her slightly. Groaning, she glared at him before accepting her cup of tea. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Liam spoke. 'Do you want to talk about it?’ he asked, gently, blowing on the rim of his cup to cool the hot liquid down. 

Carly was silent for a few minutes, before she spoke. 'I didn’t even mean to go back to the house. I just… Something told me to. A gut feeling. ’ Carly said, taking a sip of her tea. 'I didn’t even… I don’t know why I went there. I guess I just needed a look round by myself without anyone else there…’

'How did you know that something wasn’t right?’

'I tripped over something and I hit the wall. Well, my hand hit the wall and the sound of it just echoed round the room. I just… Took it from there. I tried to get hold of you, but you didn’t answer your phone.’ Carly looked at him tiredly. 'That was first time I’ve ever thought 'I hate this job sometimes.’ I mean, I’ve told families that their loved ones are dead, I’ve reunited them but… Seeing a dead body that decomposed… That was a first…' 

Liam pursed his lips. 'I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you…’ he told her gently, lifting his arm and allowing Carly to lay against him. 'That can’t have been easy…’

Carly let out a humourless chuckle. 'It’s one I’m not going to forget in hurry.’ she told him, her eyes starting to droop. Feeling her falling asleep on him, Liam grabbed the tea that was clutched in Carly’s hand and placed it on the coffee table, before it split everywhere. Getting to his feet, he bridal carried her to her bedroom, pulling back the covers and placing her gently on the bed. Tucking her in, he gently stroked her hair away from her face, staring down at the sleeping figure of Carly. 

'Night, Carls.’ he said, softly, before he headed from the room, leaving her bedroom door open a crack. Heading back into the living room, he drained both cups of tea and placed them in the sink, before heading back to the sofa, sitting back down with a yawn. Running his hand through his hair, he settled back against the cushions and dragged the sofa throw over him. 

'A five minutes doze and then I’ll leave'  He thought, burrowing deep under the throw and allowing his eyes to close…

* * *

 

Lottie let out a squeak as she slowly awoke. Stretching her muscles, she burrowed deeply under her covers before she poked her head out from under it, confused to how she got there. The last thing she remembered was been in the back of the car after being at the police station. Her eyes flying open, she flung the covers off her, relived to find that the clothes she had been wearing yesterday were still on her body. 

Slumping back down on her bed, she rolled over, only to find Louis sprawled out on the floor, a thick blanket from the sofa downstairs thrown over him. Smiling down at her brother, she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked it before reaching down and sticking her finger in his ear. She muffled her giggles as his eyes shot open and he squirmed away. 'What the hell?’ he groaned, wiping his ear and glaring softly up at Lottie. 

'You used to do it to me!' 

Louis let out a surprised chuckle. 'When you were five, yeah!’ he said, before he got up and sat on the edge of her bed. 'You okay? You were out of it last night… Dan had to carry you in and I tucked you into bed.’ Louis smiled. 'Was nice if I’m honest, brought back some happy memories.’

Lottie smiled up at her brother, before shuffling over slightly and patting the seat next to her. Shuffling to sit next to her, Louis smiled down at her. 'You okay?’ he asked her softly. Lottie nodded, resting her head lightly on her brother’s shoulder. 

'Can I ask you something?’

Louis ran a hand through his sister’s hair. 'Of course, you can.’

Lottie bit her lip, before speaking. 'Have you… Does Brittany still live round here?’

Louis tensed slightly. He had been waiting for Brittany to crop up from his sister’s mouth. 'No. She moved away with her family shortly after the investigation had cleared them. I don't know where she is...'

Lottie looked down, her only friend had given up so much she had moved. 'Oh. Right.' she said, not really knowing what to say. Grabbing her photo to distract herself, she opened up her private Instagram account and showed Louis a picture that Harry had posted a few minutes ago, of him and Louis on their honeymoon. 'Where was this taken?' she inquired.

Louis took the photo to get a better view of the picture. 'On our honeymoon in Jamaica. Such a beautiful place. So warm and sunny, to be honest, I didn't want to come back.'

'Can I go to Jamaica one day?' Lottie wondered, worrying her lip in her between her teeth.'

'Yeah of course you can.' Tell you what, when you get a passport and a bank account open, you can come and stay with me and Harry in L.A.’ he told her, dropping a kiss to her head.

Lottie frowned. 'What’s L.A?’

'Los Angeles… A really hot place in America.’ Louis clarified, before climbing from the bed. 'Come on, get dressed and how about we get a recipe up and we chocolate chip cookies?'

'Ooh! Like when we were little?'

* * *

 

A knock at the front door sounded throughout the house. Louis instructed to Lottie to keep cutting out the shapes and rushed to open the front door open, coming face to face with Mark. 'What do you want?’ he asked, a scowl on his face.

Mark sighed. 'Can I come in?’

'No. What do you want?’ Louis repeated, leaning against the doorframe, blocking Mark's view of Lottie in the kitchen.

Mark glared at his son, before reluctantly handing Louis a bank card. 'This is Lottie’s. Me and her mum have been putting a hundred pound of our wages away each month since she went missing. I’ve opened up her bank account, so she’s free to use it now. The pin is 2412, your birthday.' 

Louis’ eye widened. 'A hundred quid each? Every month for ten years?' 

Mark nodded. 'Make sure she gets it.’ he told him firmly, before heading back to his car. Louis watched him drive away before slamming the front door, turning round and coming face to face with his husband, who looked disappointed in Louis.

'You can’t stop him from seeing his daughter.’

'I’m not. He can see her, just when I’m not here.’ Louis told him, heading into the living room, where Johannah and Dan were. 'Did you know about this?’ he asked Dan, who shook his head with a frown. 'Turns out Mum and Mark have been putting away a hundred quid a month from their wages, into a bank account for Lottie… Mark’s just given me this to give to her…’ he said, holding up the debit card between his fingers.

'It was going to be a surprise… But, yes… I have been doing that. She needs something to get her onto her feet!’ Johannah told the room.

'Louis?’ The man in question headed through the door and glanced up the stairs, seeing Lottie stood in the doorway, her arms folded. 'Was that Dad?’ she asked, staring at him.

'No.’ A harsh nudge in his back had him grunting. 'Maybe…’

'Louis…’ Harry warned, with a glare.

Yes, it was.’ Louis relented, with a roll of his eyes. 'Came to give you this.’ He handed Lottie the card. 'It’s a bank card. Mum and Mark have been putting money away each month. So, all of the money in there, is yours to do what you want with.' 

Lottie’s eyes widened and she took the card. 'I have money?’ she asked, in awe.

'Yep, so you can spend it how you like.' Louis told her.

Harry stepped forward. 'Want me to help you shop for some art pieces for your walls?' he asked, gently.

Lottie looked at him, before looking at him up and down and then turning to her Mum and whispering something. Louis frowned and shared a glance with Harry. Johannah nodded and got to her feet. 'Said she wants to have a girls day...'

'Okay, that's-'

'But we can do it afterwards right? Shopping for art pieces?' Lottie asked, as her mum got to her feet and headed to the hallway.

Harry nodded. 'Of course we can, darling. No time limit. Take as much time you need. I'll be here.' he reassured her, watching as she smiled before she headed out to the hallway to put some shoes on. Waving to the boys, the girls left the house, the door shutting firmly behind them.

'Is something starting burn?' Dan asked, sniffing the air.

'Shit!'

* * *

 

Liam and Niall's mouths dropped.

'Holy shit, mate.'

'What a great present to come home to.'

Louis nodded at them through his MacBook screen. 'Tell me about it! I still can't believe I get hold her again.'

'Mate, I'm well chuffed for you!' Liam said, his accent thicker due to been at home with his parents. 'Do you think maybe you could introduce us to her sometime?'

Louis nodded. 'Yeah, of course I will!'

'Guess you've been hearing our discography a lot then?' Niall asked, lounging on his sofa in LA.

Louis chuckled. 'Not as much as you think. I don't think she's realised just how famous we are, because no one has stopped me on the street yet.'

Niall frowned. 'Has she seen the Brits awards in your house?'

Louis nodded. 'Yep. She doesn't seem fazed by it because she hasn't experienced it yet. We haven't really been outside if I'm honest.'

The bedroom door opened and Louis smiled at Harry entering the room, a large packet of sour cream and lime crisps and two mugs of tea clutched in his grasp. Dropping on Louis' stomach, he reached over Louis' view of his screen and set his tea on his side of the bedside table, before greeting the boys. 'Hello boys. How is the break treating you?' Harry greeted, grabbing the bag of crisps and ripping into them.

'Treating us well. How is getting to know the sister in law?' Niall asked, a smile on his face.

Harry nodded and swallowed a bit of his crisps. 'It's... It's good.' he said, searching for the right word. 'It's challenging at some points, but she's amazing. Strong and brave. When you meet her, you'll know what I mean.'

Liam smiled. 'Can't wait to meet her then'

Niall nodded in agreement. 'Me neither, mate. Not going to stop smiling over this.' 

Louis and Harry smiled, before Harry spoke. 'You guys had any thoughts about the next album?'

The Irishman nodded. 'Got a few ideas running through my head. Wanna hear?'

* * *

 

Louis, Harry and Dan were watching TV when the door finally opened to announce the return of Johannah and Lottie.

'Finally. Where have you girls been? It's nearly seven-' Louis' mouth dropped as he took in his sister.

The brown hair was gone, replaced by icy white bring out her blue sapphire eyes, someone had done her makeup professionally, her nails were long and manicured and stud earrings adorned her body.

'Do I look okay?' she asked, playing with her hair nervously. 'I wanted a change. I didn't want to look in the mirror and see the cellar anymore. A new chapter means a new me...'

Louis nodded. 'Yeah, you look good.' He squinted as he saw a bandage on her bellybutton. 'You had a piercing?'

'Yeah. They didn't hurt though. It look nice though, can't wait to order some belly-bars online and maybe some earrings to match.'

Louis smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. 'Good on you, little sis.'

Lottie beamed before heading for the kitchen. 'Anyone for a cuppa?' she called, with the majority of the house shouting a confirmation to her. 

Louis turned to his Mum. 'She seemed a lot more confident?'

Johannah nodded. 'Think she needed that today. I wasn't exactly sold on the hair colour at first, but she's happy and that's all that matters.'

A loud scream had Louis' face falling before he dashed into the kitchen, Harry rushing after him, he found him holding his sister close to him as she sobbed, the makeup seemingly waterproof. Stepping up to the kitchen island, Harry saw a letter that had been opened.

_Oh, my Lizzie! I know where you are... You'll be home with me soon enough, my darling! X_

Harry dragged his eyes to Louis, who was looking at him, utterly terrified, tightening his hold on Lottie. Harry stepped forward and wrapped both of his arms round both Tomlinson's, the only other sound that filled the room, other than Lottie's sobbing, was Ali calling the police after hearing the scream from her guestroom.


	15. Chapter 15

 

* * *

 

A knock at the door sounded throughout the room. 'Louis? Love, can I come in?' Harry asked, gently.

Louis nodded, before remember he locked the door. Climbing from his bed, he unlocked his door and allowed his husband into the room. 'What's up?' Louis asked, as he climbed back onto his bed.

'I just wanted to see if you okay? You seemed a bit quiet when the police came up.' Harry said, climbing onto the bed and pulling his husband into his arms.

'He knows where she lives. He knows where my family lives.' Louis' voice shook. 'What if he's watching us?'

'He's not going to get her! I promise you!'

Louis looked up at Harry, an unreadable expression on his face. 'And you know that do you? Can you see the future or something?' he snapped.

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'No. I have two plans, if plan one doesn't work.'

Louis raised the opposite eyebrow when Harry stayed silent. 'Which is?' he prompted.

'Oh...' Harry cleared his throat. 'How do you feel about another guest room being used?'

Louis sighed 'By who?' 

* * *

 

'Alberto? Paul? What the hell?' Louis laughed delightedly as he entered the kitchen with Harry, a few hours later. Bounding over to Paul, Louis hugged him tightly. 'Higgins, I've missed you man! Will you come back now?'

Paul laughed. 'Sorry kiddo. You know I can't.'

Louis pouted. Although Paul had actually been Harry's bodyguard more than Louis', Alberto and Paul had always been tight together. 'So, what are you doing here?'

'Something about a younger Tomlinson who needs protecting.'

Louis smiled. 'So, you've met her?'

'Not yet. I get the feeling she's a bit... Hesitant.' Alberto told him, gently. 'We'll protect her, Louis. I give you my word.'

Louis nodded. 'I trust you guys. But just so you know, if something happens to her, I won't be responsible for my actions!' Louis smiled sweetly, but the threat was evident. 'Capiche?'

Alberto and Paul nodded, watching as Louis stepped into the living room, cuddling up to his Mum and Lottie. 'So small and thinks he can take us out...'

Harry snorted lightly. 'Come on, guys. You've seen Louis angry. He totally could take you out.'

Alberto smiled. 'Oh please.'

Chuckling, they made their way into the living room, Harry making the introductions. 'Paul, Alberto, meet the lovely Lottie. Lovely Lottie, meet Paul and Alberto, our bodyguards.' 

Lottie blinked. 'Bodyguards?' she asked, staring at her brother in law. 'Why do you need bodyguards?'

'It's just for our protection and yours too. They will go everywhere with us and they'll stay here in the guest room.' Louis told her softly.

Lottie nodded, before cuddling into his side and fixing her eyes on the TV again. Harry curled up on the other side of Louis. Opening his mouth to speak to Paul, keen to catch up. Before he could open his mouth, Paul bet him to it, although he was speaking to Alberto. 'How have the band been since Zayn's departure?'

'They seemed have become closer, but it's still hard on them. Think they're still adjusting to being a foursome, but they seem to be coping well.'

'What about Zayn and Louis? The Twitter fight they had...'

Alberto pressed his lips together. 'Hmm, that was a tense few days. Not even Harry went near him.'

Paul raised an eyebrow at Harry. 'Jesus. You two are normally attached at the hip!'

Alberto chuckled before he noticed Lottie watching them. 'You okay, Lottie?' he asked, gently.

Lottie nodded, but stayed silent, snuggling deeper into her Mum's arms, her eyes swiftly sweeping over Harry and Louis, who was slowly starting to doze off. She sighed slightly as she watched them. One day, she wanted that. A relationship where the person she loved looked at her like she was the only person in the universe. She suddenly felt a rush of anger run through her veins. She had missed out on so much in her life. Her brother's wedding, her brother's apparent fame, her Mum meeting someone new, her friends creating their careers path. Paul had stolen so many milestones of her life and she would never get to experience them again.

'You okay, darling?' her mum whispered into her ear, noticing her daughter was tense in her arms.

Lottie blinked and forced herself to relax. 'Yeah, I'm fine. I promise.' she lied, smiling up at her Mum, before forcing her eyes to close to avoid any questions, for the time being...

* * *

 

Louis yanked on his jacket, running his hand through his hair, as he quietly slipped from the house. Night had fallen and Louis finally had time to himself to let the events of the night sink in. Heading away from his house, Louis tucked his hands into his pockets, enjoying the cool night air. Allowing his music to start playing through his headphones, Louis walked for half an hour before he headed down the banking to the lake, the one where Lottie had ran off to the other night.

Sitting on the cold, damp leafy earth, he rested against the bark of a tree, watching as the water rippled whenever a light breeze washed through the air. Bringing out his phone, he clicked the home button, watching as it lit up with a picture of himself, Harry and Lottie. He smiled down at the photo, his finger tracing over their features. He remembered how he had left Harry sprawled out in his bed earlier, naked and sated after he fucked him roughly, but lovingly. Louis bit his lip, a slight worry between his brows. He knew Harry loved it rough, he did too when he allowed Harry control, but he had a feeling he may have been a bit too hard this time round, as his emotions and anger that Paul had sent his sister a letter caught up to him. 

_Sorry if I was too rough... I'll make it up to you when I come home. Just out for a wonder. Be home and back in your arms soon! Love you. X_

Sending his text to Harry, he rested his head back against the tree. Ali was still at the police station with the officers, having accompanied the police with their enquiry. Louis liked Ali. Not only did she help Lottie, but she was a great pillar of support for his Mum and himself whenever they needed to talk. 

Switching on his mobile data, he opened up Twitter and composed a tweet.  _Night-time walks in Donny ... One of the favourite things about being home ._  Sending off the tweet, he turned off his mobile data and opened up his Notes app. Allowing his fingers to fly across the screen, he typed and typed until he let out a yawn.

Blinking, he checked the time at the top of the screen. His eyebrows flying up to his hairline. Scrambling to his feet, he could just see the very slight crack of dawn peeking through the trees. Snapping a quick photo, he posted it to his Instagram, before heading up the slight incline and out onto the streets, relishing the quietness...

* * *

 

Harry stretched his arms above his head, biting his lip in pleasure at the pain left over from last night. He smiled and flipped onto his side, the smile vanishing as he was met with cold sheets. Sitting up, he looked round the room, before slumping back onto his pillows, figuring Louis was in Lottie's room again. Sighing, he grabbed his boxers from the floor and grabbed a t-shirt and throwing it on, before leaving the bedroom.

Heading downstairs, Harry switched on the kettle, grabbing a cup and spooning some coffee into his mug. As he waited for the kettle to boil, he glanced at the clock. Nine a.m stared back at him and he opened up the fridge, seizing up the ingredients. Pulling eggs, spinach, kale, bacon and peppers from the fridge, he set them down on the counter.

Pulling the chopping board from its space, he grabbed a sharp knife and chopped the ingredients up, humming along to '18' as he did so. Firing up the frying pan on a low heat, Harry sprayed some oil, before cracking the eggs into a large jug with the rest of the ingredients, apart from the bacon. Stirring the ingredients together, he used the ladel to spoon some into the pan. Quickly grabbing the other frying pan, he fired it up onto a high heat and sprayed it with oil before placing the strips of bacon into it.

Johannah yawned as she stepped into the kitchen, surprised at seeing Harry bustling around the kitchen. 'Harry? Darling, it smells delicious!' she complimented.

Harry smiled over his shoulder. 'Thanks Mama Jay. It's just omelette's...'

'Still...' Johannah said, opening the fridge. She frowned. 'Harry? You haven't seen a bottle of vodka, have you? I had it in a clear bottle because the original bottle had smashed at the top...'

Harry frowned. 'The alcohol cabinet?'

'No, I put in the-' Johannah cut herself off as the bathroom door slammed shut and the sounds of puking reached her ears.

'You did label it, didn't you?' Harry asked, as Johannah rushed from the kitchen...

* * *

Opening the bathroom door, she raised her eyebrows at seeing Lottie hunched over the toilet. 'Oh my god! Darling, are you okay?' she rushed over to her daughters side, rubbing her back gently.

'I feel sick!' Lottie sobbed. 'My head hurts!'

Johannah rubbed her daughter's back, feeling her head for a temperature. 'What did you eat last night?'

'We had fish and chips, didn't we? and then I drank some water from the bottle in the fridge. I kept it by my bedside table, even though it tasted a little strange.'

Johannah looked at her daughter, before groaning. 'Oh Jesus! Lottie, did you from a bottle that was next to the milk?'

Lottie frowned. 'Yeah. Why?' 

Johannah closed her eyes in exasperation. 'Stay here a minute.' Rushing from the room, she knocked on Louis' door. 'Louis? Louis, wake up! I need Harry to make one his detox, hangover smoothie thingies!' When there was no reply, she opened the door and frowned when she saw it empty.

Sighing, she rushed downstairs and back into the kitchen. 'Harry? Can you whip up your detox, hangover smoothie thing? I've found out where the vodka is...'

Harry nodded, as he spooned the last bit of mixture into in the pan. 'Yeah, sure. Can you get the smoothie maker and some plain yogurt out. please?'

Johannah pulled out the things that Harry needed and switched places with him, allowing him to whip up his smoothie, while Johannah kept an eye on the omelette. 'Oh, where's Louis? He's not in bed...'

'He's in Lottie's room, isn't he? Where he normally is in the morning...'

* * *

 

Lottie groaned as she closed the toilet lid and flushed the toilet. Grabbing her toothbrush, she squirted the toothpaste onto her brush and then brushed her teeth vigorously, trying to get rid of the taste of puke. Gulping down a glass of water, she looked at herself in the mirror and groaned.

Just then her phone bleeped in her pocket. Patting her pyjama pockets, she fished out her phone, seeing a text from an unknown number. Frowning, she opened her message, dropping the phone into the sink as she held back a loud scream of terror.

_Tell anyone and he's dead. Get the train down to London King-cross. I'll be waiting._

Underneath the text, a photo of Louis, out cold and bruised with dried blood on his face from a deep head wound. Swallowing her terror, she picked her phone up with shaking hands.

_I'll find the next train down. Please don't hurt him._

_Not promising anything, Lizzie. Tick tock goes the clock..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay!  
> I've been ill with a sickness bug, but I'm cheered up by the fact that I'm seeing Niall next month and Demi in June! I can't wait!  
> So, I hope you love this chapter and get buckled in for the next few! Love to you! X


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I've not updated this in a while. I hit a bit of a block with this story, but hopefully I'm back in the swing of it now!
> 
> I do hope my loyal readers of this story are still here! I hope you like this chapter! Look out for another chapter soon! X

 

* * *

 

Lottie curled up tightly in her train seat, hoping if she got small enough, she would just disappear. She discreetly wiped a tear away before sniffling quietly. Tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, she caught sight of two girls staring at her with curious expressions on their faces.

Frowning, Lottie pulled the hoodie of Louis’ ‘British Rogue’ jumper up, burying herself deeper into the hoodie, avoiding the girls curious gazes. Watching the scenery whiz by, her thoughts turned to Louis, the picture burned into her mind.

Swallowing thickly, she reached into her pocket and dug out her phone, cursing herself for not charging it and only having half a battery left. Opening up the text message, she sniffled as she looked at the picture again.

'I’m sorry…’ she whispered, wiping a tear away. She choked on a sob, before locking her phone and tapping it against her lips once before she turned off her phone completely.

Her thoughts quickly turned her mother. She would most definitely figured out she had gone, by now. She wondered if she had called the police yet? Knowing her Mum, she would’ve.

She jumped when the train suddenly jolted to a stop inside King Cross station. Fear suddenly gripped her. She didn’t want to do this, but Louis was her brother, one of the reasons she held on so long. She’d be right back to square one, but if Louis got to be free…

Taking a deep breath, she trembled as she got to her feet and followed everyone from the train. She could feel the fear starting to grip her as she neared him. He was standing in the crowds near the door, watching everyone greet their friends and family. She stumbled in her walk as his eyes found her.

_Stay calm. He's got Louis. He'll make the threat come true..._

She inhaled a deep breath as he reached for her arm. 'I knew you'd come back to me.'

'Where is he? What have you done with him?' Lottie asked, as he firmly marched her to his car. 'If you've hurt him any more that you have!'

Paul chuckled darkly. 'You'll see him soon enough.' he told her, before he opened the passenger door and bundled her in. Slamming the door shut, he rushed round to the drivers and climbed into the car. He turned to face Lottie. 'I'm so glad you returned to your senses...' he said, reaching out to tuck a piece of Lottie's hair behind her ear.

Lottie quickly turned her head away. 'Don't touch me...' she whispered, curling up on the seat and gazing out at the London scenery as Pau; started up the car and drove away from the train station and closer to Lottie's nightmare...

* * *

 

'What time did you last see them?'

'Does it bloody matter? My daughter and my son are missing!' Johannah tearfully screamed to Liam.

Harry sighed and wiped his tears away. 'It was about two and a half ago.' he told Carly, who looked at him sympathetically before jotting Harry's answer down.

'Okay, what about Louis?'

Harry shook his head. 'I haven't seen him since last night. I've rung round our friends and family. No one's seen him. But he posted a picture of the lake at sunrise this morning on his Instagram...'

Carly frowned. 'At the lake? Had any of you been drinking last night?'

Harry frowned before shaking his head. 'He went out just after we...' Harry cleared his throat as a light blush rose on his face.

Carly frowned, before it clicked in her head. 'Ah. Right.' she cleared her throat before opening her mouth to speak. 'Any arguments in the last-'

Liam's phone blasted to life. Fumbling around for his phone, he swiped across the screen and answered it. 'DI Liam Stabler.' he answered formally. His brows furrowed as he listened to his colleague speak into his ear. 'Hang on...'

'What happening?' Johannah asked, eagerly.

Pressing the phone against his shoulder, Liam addressed the room. 'Does Lottie have any reason to be in London?'

'London?'

'We have a house there. But Louis would've told me if he was heading back down and taking her with him...'

Liam sighed and brought the phone back up to his ear, listening to his colleague, before a frown marred his face. 'What? Any clear pictures? If there is, get them out to local news stations urgently! We're on our way.' Liam ended the call and tucked his phone back into his pocket, catching Carly's eye. 'Lottie's been spotted at King Cross Station-'

'With Louis?'

Liam shook his head at Harry, before glancing at Johannah. 'With Paul...'

* * *

 

Lottie frowned at the location Paul pulled up at. 'Where are we?' she asked, turning to face him.

Paul chuckled humourlessly. 'You didn't think I was stupid enough to go back to my old house, did you?'. Shaking his head, he climbed from the car and slammed the door shut, heading round to Lottie's side and wrenching her door open. Dragging her roughly from the car, Paul locked up the car with the remote on his keys, pulling Lottie roughly up the steps and inside the house, slamming the door.

Lottie looked around, trying to familiarize herself with the house. 'Where are we?' she repeated, wincing as he dragged her towards the kitchen. 'Where are you taking me?!'

'You want to see your brother, don't you?' he told her, before pulling a door open. 'You can see him for two minutes.' he said, coldly.

Lottie poked her head into the dark room. 'Louis?' she called, wanting to hear her brother's voice before she ventured into the darkness.

'Lots?'

Lottie grabbed what she realised was a banister and rushed down the steps, jumping when the door slammed shut and a dim light was suddenly switched on. She saw Louis curled up in the corner, the side of his face bloodied. 'Louis!' she shrieked, rushing towards him and dropping to her knees in-front of him, hugging him tightly.

'Lottie, what the hell are you doing here?'

'He sent me a photo. Of you, all bloodied...' she said, her voice cracking, as she tried to wipe away the dried blood from his face.

Louis sighed and tipped his hand back. 'Jesus Christ.' He sighed and looked back at his sister. 'Do you know where we are?'

Lottie shook her head. 'This isn't where I was...' she choked out a sob. 'I'm scared...'

Louis opened his mouth to speak, only to let out a piercing scream. Lottie jumped back in horror, before seeing Louis' wrist tied to the boiler pipes. 'He's running hot water...' Louis gritted out, through clenched teeth.

Lottie scrambled for his hands, desperately trying to undo the knotted rope, which had already irritated his cuts on his wrist. 'Louis, you're bleeding...'

'I'm fine...' The pained shout he let out afterwards contradicted that statement. He yanked furiously on his knots, trying to loosen them.

'Louis, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!' Lottie cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she sobbed into her brothers chest.

Suddenly, the hot pipes started cooling and the door to the cellar swung open. Footsteps appeared on the stairs, getting louder as Paul descended them.

'Reunions done.' he said, simply, walking forward to grab at Lottie.

'Let him go.' Lottie demanded, getting to her feet. 'You've got what you wanted. Now, let him go!' she screamed the last part in his face.

Paul simply raised an eyebrow before grabbing Lottie roughly round the waist and hauling her up the stairs, ignoring Louis' screams of very colourful threats. Slamming the cellar door shut, he dragged Lottie through the house and upstairs into his room.

Fear gripped Lottie like a sledgehammer. Cowering, she slowly lowered herself onto the bed, watching as Paul stomped to the wardrobe and wrenched open the wardrobe, fishing around for a long nightie.

'No, please... Please don't make me wear that...'

Paul slammed the wardrobe doors shut. 'You're wearing it. End of!' he ordered, before he set the nightie down on the bed, before dragging a chair over to the foot of the bed and pointed to it. 'Sit.' he ordered.

Lottie sighed and dragged herself to the chair, tensing up when she felt rope securing her to the chair. 'What are you doing?' she asked. 'Can't you leave me untied?' she asked, softly.

'Not just yet. I need to know I can trust you...' Paul said, before grabbing the masking tape and tearing a piece off. 'Just until I come back.'

'What? Where are you going?' she asked, before the tape was placed over her mouth.

'Well, I need a do a food shop. Can't you have you running out on me again can I?' Paul told her, before he kissed her head and exited the room, locking it from the outside...

* * *

 

Harry sighed as he unlocked the door to his and Louis' London home, Johannah following him in with Dan, Gemma, Robin and Anne behind her. Heading for the stairs and ignoring his Mum's concerned gaze, Harry locked himself in his and Louis' bedroom, allowing the tears to fall.

CCTV footage had been found of someone grabbing Louis and bundling him into the back of a car, the plates of the car removed coincidently. Harry shivered as he remembered Johannah's scream as they watched the footage to confirm it was Louis.

Heading for his bed, Harry curled up Louis' side and hugged his pillow closely, surrounding himself with Louis' scent, calming him slightly. Opening his eyes, he came face to face with one of their wedding photos. He smiled as he picked it up, stroking the glass gently.

It had been a private moment between the two of them, at their wedding reception. They had gone outside, just for a breather and to privately unload a few happy tears. Anne had captured the moment on her phone, seeing them crying with happiness, their hands joined tightly as their foreheads touched, gazing into each others eyes like they were the only people in the universe.

Harry sniffled, before placed the photo back down on Louis' side table. Wiping away his tears and getting himself under control, he climbed from the bed and headed back downstairs and into the living room, seeing the others sat down with cups of tea.

'Oh, baby.' Anne got up from her seat, setting her tea on the coffee table, before she pulled her son in for a hug. 'It's going to be okay.'

Harry sniffled. 'He's got him, hasn't he?' Harry sobbed. 'That's why Lottie's gone back to him...'

Anne stayed silent as she comforted her youngest child...

* * *

 

Lottie was dozing when the bedroom door unlocked. She lifted her head, to see Paul walk in, carrying a tray of steaming hot food. She hadn't realised how hungry she was, since she hadn't eaten since the night before.

'Good, you're awake.' Paul said, sitting on the edge of the bed, placing the tray next to him and reaching for the tape on Lottie's mouth, ripping it off, he left part of it dangling from her mouth. 'Now, are you hungry?' he asked, gently, taking a bite of his cheese toasty.

'A little bit...' Lottie admitted, praying for the other half of the toasty.

'Good.' Paul said, swallowing the bite of his food and reaching for the can chicken soup, making Lottie's heart deflate. Cracking the can open, he dipped the spoon into the can.

'Erm...' Lottie stuttered, her eyes on the can. 'Can't I feed myself?' she asked, frowning when Paul shook his head. 'Why not?' she asked.

'How do I know you're not going to do a runner?'

Lottie stayed silent and slowly opened her mouth to receive the cold soup, grimacing slightly as it slid down her throat.

'What do we say?' Paul asked, speaking as though he was speaking to a little child.

Lottie stared at him, fire slowly burning in her eyes. 'Thank-you.' she gritted out. 'Please, can I have some more?'

Paul smiled. 'Nice to see you haven't forgotten your manners.'

Lottie managed to finished the can of soup, forcing the food to slide down her throat. 'Please can I have a drink?' she asked, seeing the cups of water on the tray.

'Small sips...' Paul warned, as he fed Lottie the water.

Lottie glared at him, knowing he was taking pleasure at having her back. 'Can I see Louis again? Please?' she asked, in a small voice.

'No, you can't...'

'Why not?'

You've already seen him. You don't need to see him again...'

'He's my brother!' Lottie shouted, before Paul fed her a longer gulp of water. Eyeing him closely, she waited till he set the cup down, before suddenly spraying him with the water from her mouth.

However, she wasn't expecting him to lash out at her. The chair she was tied up on hit the floor, causing her head to smack the floor. Letting out a loud curdling scream, Paul suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth. 'Shut up!' he yelled, feeling her tears soak his hand. Placing the tape back over her mouth, Paul headed for the bedroom door. 'You ever try anything like that again, the next you sound you hear will your brother's dying screams!' he threatened, darkly.

The sound of the door slamming shut and locking strangely calmed Lottie down, however she knew better than to try a little stunt like that again. She just had play it out calmly and patiently, or she knew she would end up with blood on her hands if she ever tried an escape plan again... 


	17. Chapter 17

 

* * *

 

Harry was sat outside, the cool night air whipping roughly around him. He shivered and pulled the blanket that was wrapped round his shoulders, closer to his body. He hugged his knees closer to his chest and sighed, his chin dropped onto them, gently.

'Beautiful night, isn't it?'

Harry didn't move at the sound of his mother's voice. He felt her as she sat down next to him, looking out into the night sky with him.

'I can't sleep without him. I can't sleep knowing he's not in L.A. He's somewhere in this fucking city, so close to me and I can't do a thing!'

Anne rubbed Harry's arm softly and shushed him gently. 'Baby...'

Harry sighed. 'Mum, please don't say he's fine.'

'He might be-'

'Mum!' Harry growled, deeply. 'Paul's a fucking psychopath! Fuck knows what he's doing to them both!' Harry drew in a deep breath. 'I swear, if I see him, I'll kill him! I'll kill him if he's laid a finger on a strand of their hair!'

Anne knew Harry wasn't joking. 'Harry, please darling. If they're found, just let-'

'If?' Harry turned to look at Anne, an unreadable look on his face. 'If they're found?' he repeated slowly. 'You think they won't be found?' He looked at his mum for an answer, but barrelled on with another question before she could correct herself. 'Do you think they're dead? Do you think they've tried to escape and he's killed them?'

'No, baby! I didn't mean-'

'Let me tell you something, Mum. You'd better pray to God, he's not dead, because if he is...'

Anne's hand smacked him roughly on the back of his head before he could finish his sentence. 'Now, listen to me! Don't you dare even talk about that, like that's the answer to this.' Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. 'Of course I think he'll be found, Lottie too, but you have to let the police handle this! And the rescue, when it happens.'

'He's my husband! I have to be there!'

'The best thing you can do for him and Lottie, is to be in a better state mind than one you are clearly in now! Now, go upstairs and I'll fix you some camomile tea and then I'll bring it to you.'

Harry stayed sat down for a moment, before sobs suddenly spilled from his mouth. 'I'm sorry, Mum. I'm sorry.' Anne quickly gathered her youngest in her arms, rocking him gently back and forth. 'I need him, Mum! I need him!' 

* * *

 

Screams echoed up from the cellar, causing Lottie to squeeze her eyes shut to block the sounds out. Humming a nonsense tune, she managed to block the horrifying sounds out.

Because she was humming so loudly, she failed to hear the bedroom door unlock and open, making the sounds louder for a second, before they got muffled again. She let out a scream when her chair was suddenly launched up right. Her vision swam for a moment before everything came into focus.

'What are you doing?'

Paul cocked his head to one side. 'Thought you might want a bath before we go to bed.'

Lottie held back on the disgusted sound wanting to erupt from her mouth. 'I don't want to go to bed.'

Paul didn't answer that, which surprised Lottie. He worked on untying her, before dragging her to her feet and out of the room, where she gasped at the sounds of her brothers screams. 'Let him go! Please, just let him go!' Lottie shouted, as he dragged her into the bathroom.

Leaning over the bath, Paul turned off the hot tap and the screams stopped slowly. 'Now, get undressed and get in the bath. I'll be back in a minute.' Paul smiled at her. 'I'll wash your hair for you.'

The bathroom door slammed shut, leaving Lottie alone. Testing the water, she blasted the cold water into bath, waiting until it was mostly lukewarm before she undressed and sank into the water, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging them tightly.

She couldn't believe she was back in her nightmare, or that Louis was been held captive with her. She was dreading bedtime, she wondered if she could sleep down in the cellar with Louis. If she acted up, she could get her way, but she was terrified that it would backfire.

The door swung open and Paul stepped back into the room, shutting the door behind and seating himself on the edge of the bath, reaching for the jug and dipping it in the water, pouring it onto Lottie's hair. 'Such lovely hair... It always has been. Why have you ruined it?'

Lottie discreetly grimaced before tipping her head back slightly. Watching as he reached for the shampoo, she spoke softly. 'Why won't you let Louis go?'

'Why would I let him go when he'll tell the police where I am? You're both staying here. End of.'

'But, what good is Louis going to be for you?' Lottie questioned, as Paul rubbed the shampoo into her hair. 'It's me you want, what do you need him for? Threaten him to keep quiet. Put the frighteners on him.'

Paul slowly stopped washing her hair as he considered her words. 'He could be good for other things. I haven't quite decided yet.'

Lottie froze at that implication. 'Wh- What do you mean?'

Paul ignored her and started humming a song under his breath, rinsing out the shampoo and lathering her hair in conditioner.

Sighing, she rested her chin on her knees and sniffled, resigning herself back into her former life.

However, she didn't expect her older brother kicking the door in, brandishing a large kitchen knife. Shrieking in a mixture of terror and shock, Lottie clamped her arms round her head, not wanting to see what happened next.

When nothing happened, she slowly lifted her head. Louis was still brandishing a knife, but he had it pressed against Paul's chest, the tip just prodding his skin through his t-shirt. Grabbing the towel from the floor, he held it up for his sister. 'Get this round you.' He ordered, not taking his eyes from Paul. 'Don't look at her!' he shouted at him, as he saw Paul's eye flickering.

Lottie climbed from the bath, the towel securely wrapped round her body. Louis pushed her protectively behind him, shielding her. 'What are you going to do?' she whispered, eyeing him closely.

'He's going to let us go, or I start stabbing...' Louis said, edging closer to the bathroom door.

'I wouldn't do that if I were you.' Paul said, getting to his feet and quickly advancing on them. Swiping the knife smoothly from Louis, Paul pointed it at Louis' face. 'You might have a knife...' he trailed off, as his hand disappeared behind him. 'But I have this...' he said, producing a hand gun.

Lottie let out a horrified shriek and grabbed Louis' arm. 'Please, don't! Please!'

'He should've thought about that before he threatened to start stabbing...' Paul said darkly.

'Lottie, get out!' Louis shouted, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

Lottie took off, however she didn't get very far when she heard a loud bang, consistent with someone's head connecting with a hard surface and then slumping to the floor. She froze in shock, tensing when she felt the barrel of the gun pressed against the back of her head.

'Get in the bedroom. Now.'

* * *

 

Harry was curled up on his side, cuddled up to Louis' pillow. The camomile tea was swimming in his veins, making him sleepy. His eyes were trained on the photo on his bedside table, a photo of him and Louis just after they had announced their engagement, both of them having tear tracks and bright smiles on their faces.

_Once their mum's had put the cameras away, Louis gazed at the ring on his finger, the smile dimming slightly._

_After accepting the hug and congratulations from his Mum and Anne and the boys, Louis excused himself outside to the private balcony of the dinner place they had rented out for the night. _Lighting up a cigarette, Louis took a huge drag and watched as the smoke curled away into the air.__

_'Lou?' Harry's voice came softly from behind him, as he stepped out onto the balcony, sliding the door shut. 'Are you okay?' Harry asked, stepping up next to him._

_'Of course, I am!' Louis insisted, turning to look at his fiancé, a smile appearing on his face. 'I'm fucking ecstatic.'_

_'Tell your eyes that.' Harry told him, watching as Louis' brightness dimmed and turned away form him. 'Talk to me...' Harry whispered._

_Louis stayed silent, finishing his cigarette, before speaking. 'I always... When I was little, I always imagined everyone being there when I got engaged.' Louis sighed. 'I hate that life doesn't always turn out the way you want it to...'_

_'Everyone is there though...' Harry trailed off, as he realised what Louis was referring to. 'Oh!' Harry stepped closer to his fiancé and wrapped his arms round him. 'I'm sorry, baby.'_

_'I wish... I wish I had closure. That all I need to just... Get rid of that feeling of fucking helplessness.'_

_Harry's lips grazed his head. 'One day, she'll turn up.'_

_'It's been eight years, Haz...' Louis sniffled and shook his head. 'Fuck sake, what am I doing? You just fucking proposed and made me the happiest I've ever been in a long time and I'm out here banging on about-'_

_'Hey...' Harry shushed him gently, before continuing. 'You wanted your sister here, there's nothing wrong with that.' Harry gently placed a kiss on Louis' lips. 'It's not your fault, baby.' he whispered, knowing that Louis struggled daily with Lottie's disappearance. 'It wasn't your fault.' Kissing him again, he drew back softly. 'Let's go back in...' he said, kissing Louis' forehead before heading back inside._

_Louis waited till the door was closed, before he turned back to the scenery in-front of him. 'It was my fault, Haz. You have no fucking idea...' he whispered, into the night air._

Harry was just drifting off to sleep, when his bedroom door banged open, Johannah stood in the doorway.

'Get dressed, now! They think they've got them!' 

* * *

 

Louis awoke to the smell of smoke. Thick smoke, to be exact. His vision swam as he crawled to the bathroom door. His head was pounding as he swung the door open, however his eyes widened as he saw flames licking at the staircase banister.

'Fuck...' he choked out. Staggering to his feet, he headed down the hallway, only for a gunshot to ring in the silence. His throat closed up and he dropped back to his knees. He looked up when the bedroom door flew open, only to see his sister stagger from the room. 'Lots!' he scrambled to his feet and engulfed her in a hug.

'I didn't... I didn't mean to shoot him! I just... I acted on instinct!'

'Never mind. We need to get out of here. I need a large sheet!' Louis told her.

Lottie rushed down the hallways, coming to a stop outside a laundry room, yanking a king-size sheet out. 'Will this do?'

Louis rushed forward and dashed into the bathroom, plunging the whole sheet into the bath, drenching it. Seeing Lottie's confused stare, he explained. 'This is going to help us against the flames. We won't get burned.'

Yanking the heavy fabric from the bath, Louis draped it over him, telling Lottie to hold him tightly. Protecting them both, he covered them with the sheet and they quickly and carefully headed down the steps.

'Fuck...'

'What?' Lottie's scared voice was muffled into his chest.

'He's used an accelerant. When I open this door, we've got about ten seconds before this whole place blows! You need to run!'

Nodding frantically, Lottie watched as Louis gripped her hand, throwing the sheet off him, before wrenching the door open and dashing from the house, his sister keeping up well, considering he was practically dragging her with him.

Everything happened so quickly, Lottie could barely process it. One minute she was running and then the next, Louis had pulled her behind a large 4 by 4 range rover, as a loud explosion erupted from the house. Glass shattered everywhere, onto the street, from the house and the houses closest to it, black smoke billowed out and the flames licked the frames of the house, the heat scorching.

Lottie burst into tears, her tears soaking Louis' t-shirt. 'I thought that was it! I thought that was going to be it!' she sobbed, the long, ugly nightdress torn and burnt.

Louis clutched her tightly, sobbing into her hair. 'I thought he had shot you!' he whispered, his hands clutching her face. 'I thought....' he broke off as he kissed her forehead firmly, ignoring the loud sirens of ambulances, police and the fire brigade.

'Louis, your wrists...' Lottie hiccupped, seeing her brother's wrist all bloodied and burnt.

'They'll be-' the rest of his sentence was drowned out by a loud, high pitched shriek and a rough scream. The siblings looked at each other, the voices familiar. Louis peeked out from behind the car, seeing blue tape already put up. Turning back to his sister, he gently helped her to her feet. 'Mum's here.' he whispered.

'Mummy...'

Stepping out from behind the car, Louis grabbed his sister's hand and began walking forward, ignoring the pounding in his head.

'Louis!'

'Lottie!'

Louis found himself in Harry's arm a few seconds later, kissing been pressed all over his face as their tears mixed together. 'I thought... I thought I'd lost you!' Harry whispered, kissing his husbands hair, as he hugged him tightly. 'You're safe. You're both safe now! No one is going to get their hands on you both again.' Pulling away from his husband slightly, he was alarmed when Louis slumped against him. 'Louis?' he shook him slightly before he looked down at him, seeing his eyes closed peacefully.

Fear jolted through Harry as he lowered him quickly to the concrete floor. 'LOUIS?! I NEED A MEDIC!' Harry screamed, panicking as he pressed his fingers to Louis' neck, feeling around for a pulse...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All will be revealed! All will be revealed...


	18. Chapter 18

 

 

* * *

The clock ticked the waiting room, ticking the down the minutes, each one a minute more where there was no information on Lottie or Louis. They had been rushed in separate ways as they entered the hospital and a nurse had told them to wait in the waiting room for updates.

That had been two hours ago and the silence was slowly starting to grate of Harry. Johannah was sleeping lightly, tear marks on her cheeks from where she had been crying earlier. Harry had been pacing since they had entered the waiting room, to keep himself from conjuring up unwanted scenarios. Groaning, he sat down and ran a hand through his hair, his knees bouncing wildly. He wished that he had taken his Mum up of her offer of coming from the house to keep him company.

The door banged open, jolting Johannah from her sleep and causing Harry to jump to his feet, only to deflate when he saw Liam closing the door behind him. 

'I saw it on the news. Mate, any updates?'

Harry frowned. 'What do you mean on the news?' he asked Liam, while glancing worriedly at Johannah.

Liam faltered. 'The news... There's a video of Louis being loaded into the ambulance. It seems a fan recorded it and sold it to the media.'

Johannah looked at Liam. 'How did they know it was him?'

'Bit of a giveaway when Harry was screaming and sobbing his name.' Liam answered, before his phone blasted to life. 'Niall... Yes, it's true but-' Liam glanced at Harry and Johannah, before sighing lightly. 'Okay. Okay. We'll message you with any updates. See you soon.' Liam hung up and pushed his phone back into his pocket. 'Niall's flying in from Los Angeles.' he answered Harry's silent question.

Harry nodded, before slumping back into his seat. Liam sat next to him, his arm going round his shoulder and pulling Harry in for a hug. Johannah watched them with a small smile before heading for the door. 'I'm going to go and find someone and then I'm going to call Mark, before he finds out about this on the news.' she told Harry, before offering him a smile and then disappearing out of the door.

'What happened, mate?' Liam asked, as Harry pulled away from their hug gently.

Harry sniffled. 'Lottie got a letter from White. Louis was shaken up about it and he was out last night. Like really late last night and he never came home. Lottie disappeared this morning and then CCTV footage revealed Louis getting pulled into a van, and then a few hours later, Lottie was spotted at Kings Cross Station.'

Liam frowned. 'White had them both?' he questioned.

Harry nodded. 'Louis was covered in blood. His hair was matted with it.' Harry choked out. It was then that Liam saw the blood splattered on Harry's shirt. 

'What about his sister?'

'I think she's okay. She just gone for check ups and tests.' Harry replied, wiping his eyes and sniffling again before getting to his feet. 'I'm going to go and a get a drink. Do you want one?'

Liam shook his head. 'No, I'm okay. Had a coffee on the train down. I'll wait here for Johannah.'

* * *

Johannah was heading back to the waiting room when she caught Harry heading back up from the canteen with two cups of takeout coffee. 

'Liam sent you on a coffee run?'

Harry smiled lightly and shook his head. 'Nah. Needed something to do. I'm going mad not hearing anything about them.' he told her, handing her coffee, which made her smile.

Johannah agreed before she opened the waiting room door, seeing a doctor in the room with Liam. 'Oh thank god.' Johannah breathed out. 'How are they? Are they okay? Can we see them?'

The doctor held up a hand, silencing Johannah's quick fire questions. 'Mrs Tomlinson-'

'Deakin.'

'Mrs Deakin. Charlotte is fine. She just inhaled a lot of smoke, but apart from that she's okay. We're just going to keep her in overnight, just to be on the safe side.'

Johannah nodded. 'What about Louis?'

The nurses face expression changed, causing Harry to grab Johannah's hand. 'Louis was taken into the ICU. We discovered that he had a blood clot from a CT and MRI scan what he had done when he arrived.'

'A blo… a blood clot?' Harry choked out.

'We had to rush him to surgery afterwards but we managed to stop the blood clot. We've just put him in ICU just to monitor him for a night or two.'

'But, he's going to be okay. He's going to be okay, right?' Liam asked, squeezing Harry's shoulder in comfort.

The doctor nodded. 'He's going to be fine. He's lucky. Another hour and it wouldn't have been a good outcome.' 

'Let me see him. Please.' Harry begged, his eyes filled unshed tears.

The doctor nodded and led them from the room. They walked a few minutes down corridors and up some stairs before coming to stop outside ICU. Squirting the hand sanitizer onto their hands and rubbing it in, they entered the ICU ward. Heading to the end of the corridor, they turned a corner and slowly opened the second door down.

'There's a lot of wires and bruising, but it's still Louis underneath.'

Johannah nodded and stepped into the room, surprised to find her daughter curled up in the chair next to the bed. 'Lottie?'

Lottie jumped at her mothers voice. 'I'm sorry. I just- I heard nurses talking about him in ICU and... I'm sorry I'll go back.'

Johannah stopped her moving before she could get up. 'He's your brother. You're allowed to be here, don't be silly.' Johannah reassured her.

Lottie nodded and coughed into her blanket, before she spotted Liam stood behind Harry and froze. 'Whose he?' she asked, nodding in Liam's direction.

Liam glanced at Johannah, making sure it was okay to approach her. 'I'm Liam. I'm one of Louis' best friends and bandmates. I've heard a lot about you. All good things, I promise.' Liam introduced himself, before holding out his hand for her to shake.

Lottie eyed the hand, slowly shaking it, before taking her hand back under her blanket and turning her head towards Louis. 'Nice to meet you too.' she whispered, her attention focused on her brother. 

Harry had edged round to other side of Louis' bed, kissing his head as he brushed his hair back carefully, being careful of the stitches in a shaven part of his head. He could already imagine Louis would be demanding a beanie when he woke up. Glancing down his husbands body, he came to a stop at his bandaged wrists. 'What happened here?' he asked, stroking the back of Louis' hand soothingly.

Lottie sniffled, before speaking. 'He had him tied to the boiler pipes. So, every time he ran the hot water, the pipes would get really hot. He ran me a bath and all I could hear were Louis' screams.'

Harry's eyes hardened as his body tensed. 'He burned him?'

Lottie nodded, wiping her eyes. 'He also had a handgun.'

Harry breathed in heavily. 'Please tell me Louis shot him!'

Lottie shook her head. 'I did. I shot him in the shoulder. I didn't think, I just fired it and ran.'

Johannah stepped over to her daughter and hugged her tightly. 'It's fine, darling. He probably killed himself when the house exploded anyway.'

Lottie choked on a sob. 'Will I get into trouble for shooting him?'

'No, darling. I promise.' Johannah vowed. 'I promise...'

* * *

The sun was setting when Johannah unlocked the front door to Harry and Louis' house, allowing Lottie and Liam to step in before her. Upon hearing the door open, Gemma, Dan and Anne rushed from the kitchen, startling Lottie, who froze next to her Mum. Shutting the door behind her, Johannah placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

'Charlotte, this is Anne and Gemma. Harry's Mum and Sister.' Johannah introduced, softly.

Recognition bloomed on Anne's face. 'Oh.' Her hands cupped her mouth before she smiled widely. 'Oh, Johannah, she's beautiful.' Anne complimented. 'Would you like a drink? We've just boiled the kettle.'

'Sure. Liam, take Lottie into the living room.' Johannah said, as she headed into the kitchen with Anne and Dan. 

Lottie bit back a refusal and edged slowly into the living room, coming face to face with a photo wall. Her eyes glided slowly over the wall, seeing her brother throughout the years with the band and their families. She felt her heart deflate at the amount of memories she missed out on. She eyed the wedding photos, seeing that even in the photos, Louis' eyes weren't shining as brightly as they had been recently.

'It was an emotional day, they left a seat empty for you...' Gemma said, coming to stand next her. 'Louis was adamant that you were there in some form. He never stopped thinking about you, not even when he eventually told us about you.'

'What was it like?'

'It was... magical. Johannah gave Louis away, they had an acoustic version of Strong playing as Harry walked down the aisle. Their vows were emotional. Not a dry tear in the house. I think we have a video somewhere.'

Lottie smiled, slightly. 'So, just how famous are they? Like I know about X Factor and the albums...'

'We have global success. Like around the world.' Liam said, before wincing. 'Sorry, that sounds really big headed. I'll show you a concert video for you, if I can find it.'

Lottie nodded, before scoping out the room more, coming across books and CDs. Pulling out the One Direction discography, she placed the _Four_ CD into the CD player and pressed play, allowing the notes of _'18'_ to blare from the speakers.

Liam and Gemma watched as Lottie swayed to the music, stopping when she heard her brother's voice and smiling. The song soon ended and the opening bars _'Stockholm Syndrome'_ started playing. They watched as the younger Tomlinson listened closely to the lyrics, before pressing the buttons to find the repeat button. After Gemma showed her it, Lottie sat down next to Liam and allowed the lyrics to wash over, staring blankly at the unlit fireplace.

* * *

Harry could feel his eyes start to close from being awake all night and nearly all day. He woke himself up as his chin hit his chest, clearing his throat as he did so. Running a hand over his face, Harry dug his phone out of his pocket as it pinged, his other hand clasped tightly with Louis'.

_Hey. I'm in the hospital canteen. Can I come up?_

Harry typed out a response to Niall's text message.

_Course you can. ICU. Walk through the doors, end of the corridor, second door on the left. X_

Slipping his phone back into his pocket after the message sent, Harry brought Louis' hand up and kissed the back of it. 'Come on, baby. Wake up. Let me see them eyes.' he murmured, kissing the hand again. Resting it back on the bed, Harry eyed the white bandage, feeling a flare of anger go through him. That bastard had marked Louis' skin in his own way, to make sure Louis would never forget what happened to him. Harry didn't even want to know the extent of damage to his skin, especially with the cuts underneath as well.

Wiping his eyes, he just had time to get himself under control before the door opened, to reveal a jetlagged Niall. Offering him a slight smile, Niall shut the door and quickly headed round to Harry's side, wrapping his arms round his best friends shoulders and squeezed tightly. 'He's going to be okay.' Niall whispered, before he broke their hug and perched on the armchair of Harry's chair. 'What happened?' he asked, softly. 'How did he get here?'

'White used Louis as bait to get Lottie back. And then tortured him by tying him to the hot water pipes, so that whenever he ran hot water, Louis got the brunt of it.'

Niall blinked slowly. 'He burned him?' Harry sniffle was all the answer he needed. 'The bastard!' Niall hissed, darkly. 'Is he dead? Because if he's not-'

'He's dead. He killed himself when the house exploded.' 

'Good. I hope he burns in hell!'

Harry nods, agreeing with him. 'Same.' he mumbled before leaning forward and stroking a hand through Louis' hair. 'Come on, baby. Wake up.' He whispered, his thumb stroking Louis' forehead softly.

* * *

Johannah sipped on the wine that Anne had poured for her. After an evening dinner of salmon and vegetables, Liam had headed back to the hospital, Dan dropping him off while Gemma and Lottie were downstairs in the basement, which was used as a cinema room, Gemma having introduced Lottie to Harry Potter on Instagram. 

'So, what's it's like having your baby girl back?'

Johannah smiled at her best friends question. 'It's amazing.' she said, a full blown smile stretching across her face, before slightly dimming. 'It's... I still can't believe it's real, it's just...' Johannah sighed. 'I just wish she wasn't so traumatized.'

Anne sighed and took a sip of her wine. 'Jay...'

'I know. I know... It's just... This shouldn't have happened. My baby girl should've grown up with me, not that asshole.'

Anne leaned forward and grasped Johannah's hand. 'You have her back now. You have a lifetime of memories to make to overcloud the bad ones!'

Johannah sniffled. 'Louis' supposed to go back to the studio next week and start promo for the new single. Lottie's been attached at his side and vice versa ever since.' Wiping her eyes. 'I could take her to the house in France, while he's recording, give her time to really adjust been back with me. We applied for her a passport the other day and fast tracked it. I could take her away-'

Feet rushing up the stairs had Johannah turning in her seat, coming face to face with Gemma. 'Someone's leaked it to the media which hospital Louis is in. They don't know about Lottie yet, but I can guarantee you, it won't be long before they do.' 

Johannah sighed and her head fell into her hands. 'Louis wanted to do it himself. Introduce the world to her, his way.'

Gemma sighed and bit her lip. 'Call the police and see if you can do anything. They might be able to get the papers to hold off running a story, for a little while.'

'Wait. They wouldn't try and find him in the hospital right?' Anne questioned, worried for the safety of her son in law, as well as her son and their friends.

Gemma shook her head at her Mum. 'Liam messaged me. That's how I knew. He got bombarded going into the hospital. He told me he's rung for Alberto and Paul to head down from Donny. Oh, and Mark is on his way as well.' Gemma told Johannah.

Johannah's eyebrows flew into her hairline. 'Mark? He said he was working away?!' 

Gemma frowned and shrugged her shoulders. 'Liam said that they're about three hours away.'

Johannah nodded, her mind wondering with possibilities of why Mark lied to her, however she jumped slightly when she heard Lottie heading up the steps. 'Gemma?' Lottie called, stepping into the kitchen, finding the three women staring at her. 'What's going on?'

* * *

Harry awoke to his hand shaking. He grumbled in his sleep before his eyes flickered open at the movement. Blinking rapidly, he turned his head towards Louis' bed, seeing tired sapphire orbs staring back at him.

'Louis!' Harry shot to his feet, his lips pressing firmly and rapidly to Louis' forehead, cradling his face with his free hand. 'You're awake! You're okay, You're in hospital.' Glancing back at Niall, who was curled up in the windowsill, a pillow behind his head. 'Niall!' Harry shouted, causing Niall to almost fall from his place in shock.

'What?!' He snapped, his heart pounding.

'Go and get a nurse!' 

Niall frowned, before he saw Louis' hand moving to Harry's shoulder. Rushing from the room, he did as Harry asked. Flagging down a nurse, Niall led her to the Louis' room, allowing her to sort out Louis' temperature and blood pressure and everything. Standing with Harry, they both watched as the nurse took the nose cannula from Louis and checked his head stitches, before telling him that they'll be back later to check on him. 

After the nurse had gone, Harry rushed back to his husbands side, pressing a light kiss to his lips. 'Hey baby. I missed you. You're okay. I promise.'

Niall stepped forward, slowly edging into Louis' line of sight. 'I ain't kissing you, Tommo. But Harry's right, you're okay.' he said, lightly patting Louis' ankle.

'Hey Nialler.' Louis croaked, before clearing his throat. 'Thought you were in LA?'

Niall nodded. 'I was. But the house explosion made it on the news. Got the first flight back.' 

Louis smiled appreciatively. 'Thanks Niall.'

Niall shrugged his shoulders, smiling bashfully. 'I'm going to go get a coffee.' He said, while edging for the door. 'I'll bring you something back, Haz.' he said, before he stepped from the room and shut the door.

The second it did, Louis was trying to sit up, letting out a shout of pain when it ripped through his head. Harry gently lowered him back onto the bed, alarmed at Louis' sudden actions. 'Whoa! What do you think you're doing?'

'That bastard used me as bait for my sister. I need to see her!'

Harry restrained him, gently but firmly. 'Louis, calm down. Lottie's been discharged. She's at our house now. She's fine. I promise.'

Louis watched him closely. 'You promise?'

Harry nodded, his eyes showing his honesty. 'I promise, baby.'

Louis nodded and let out a sigh. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry for scaring you. I just... I just had to get out of that house. He knew where my Mum lived, he could've been watching her!' Louis sniffled. 'I shouldn't have gone out-'

'You didn't know he was there, Louis! You couldn't have predicted what was going to happen!'

Louis allowed a tear to drop. 'I thought we were going to die.' he gasped out. 'He bundled me into a van and then he tied me to the boiler pipes! I only got free of them because the heat burned through the rope. I grabbed a knife and I found them in the bathroom. He was touching her hair while she was curled up, terrified, in the water. I threatened him with the knife and got Lottie out of the water. I told her run when he produced a gun. The last thing I remember is the gun hitting my head and then I woke up to smoke...'

Harry was freely sobbing now, the images running through his head. 'He's dead. He died when the house blew up.' Louis reached for his husbands hand with one hand and reached for his head with the other, allowing his husband to rest his head on his chest, his sobs vibrating onto Louis'. 'You're safe now. You both are.' Harry sobbed, squeezing Louis as tightly as his husband allowed him.

'How's Lottie? Mentally?'

Harry sniffled and rested his chin on Louis' sternum. 'She seemed okay. She was here, when we were allowed to see you. Seems to be quite the sneaker, it seems. Her ward didn't know she'd gone, until her Mum took her back when they left.'

'They?'

'Your mum, Liam and Lottie. I stayed. I didn't want you to wake up alone...' Harry whispered, pressing a kiss on Louis' sternum. Louis smiled, his eyes drooping slightly. 'You tired?'

Louis nodded. 'A little bit. But I want a kiss first.' Louis mumbled, smiling when Harry's lips met his. Gently placing his hands on Harry's cheeks, he deepened the kiss, relishing the feel of his husbands lips on his own. Breaking the kiss, Louis smiled sleepily. 'I love you...' he whispered, before his eyes slipped shut as sleep overtook him again.

'I love you too, darling.' Harry whispered, stroking Louis' hair soothingly.

* * *

Night had fallen, by the time Liam and Niall were walking back to the ICU. Entering the ward, they were greeted by Harry standing outside of Louis' room, his phone in his hand.

'Hey man, you-'

'Why didn't you message me saying the press were outside? I've just had a message from Mum saying Liam messaged Gemma about the paparazzi. Why didn't you message me?'

'I'd rather have told you face to face, man! I've took care of it. Alberto and Paul are driving down from Donny and I told Gemma to get Jay to call the police and get the press to stop the story what could be in process of being written.'

Harry sighed. 'Do they know about Lottie?'

Liam shook his head. 'No, but it won't take the press long to go and find witnesses on the street and ask for details of accounts. They'll no doubt mention a girl with Louis.'

'Shit.' Harry turned round and stared at a sleeping Louis from through the window. 'He wants to introduce Lottie to everyone in his own way...' Turning back to Niall and Liam, Harry spoke firmly. 'Promise me, it's been handled.'

Lima nodded. 'I promise.' He glanced at Louis through the window. 'Why don't you two go home and get a shower and something to eat? I'll sit with Louis.'

Harry sighed and nodded, before he disappeared back into Louis' room. Niall and Liam watched as Harry spoke softly to Louis before he kissed him on the forehead. Stepping from the room, Harry shut the door behind him. 'Ring me when he wakes up. I'd rather tell him about this myself.'

Liam nodded and watched as Harry walked away, through the doors and down the corridors. 'We're going to have to release a statement or something about this. You know that right?' Niall said, glancing at Liam.

Liam nodded. 'I want Louis' input though. Johannah's going to message me when she's got hold of the police. Then, hopefully if Louis' awake, we'll talk...'

Niall nodded. 'You know where I am, if you need me.' he told Liam, before he rushed to catch Harry up, Liam watching them both go, before stepping into Louis' room and shutting the door softly behind him...

 


	19. Chapter 19

 

* * *

The sun shined brightly into the large open bedroom. Lottie slowly came to consciousness and stretched, spreading her arms out on the large double bed. Yawning and slowly sitting up, she ran a hand through her icy blonde hair and looked around at the white walls with beautiful art pieces.

Climbing from the bed, she pulled Louis' dressing gown over the oversized t-shirt Harry had lent her to sleep in last night, before heading for the stairs. She peeked over the banister, listening for anyone to be already up. Hearing no-one, she faltered on the steps, wondering if she was allowed downstairs by herself. It wasn't her house, so she didn't want to seem rude.

Hearing a door open, she quickly straightened up, sighing with relief when a sleepy Harry stepped out of his room. Catching her standing at the top of the steps, he gave her a funny look. 'You okay?' he asked, wonder in his voice.

Lottie nodded. 'I... erm… I just didn't want to seem rude going downstairs when it's not my house or home.'

Harry's eyebrows raised. 'Darling, you're my sister in law. This house is your house. You're allowed to do whatever you want you to do.'

Lottie nodded, her cheeks red from slight embarrassment. She should've known that, but she grew up somewhere where she wasn't allowed to leave the room without Paul escorting her everywhere. Heading down the steps, she headed into the large red kitchen. Biting her nail, she glanced at Harry. 'Can I make a cup of tea? Please?' 

'Of course you can. Want me to make you some breakfast? I make some mean chocolate chip pancakes.'

Lottie's eyes lit up. 'Oh. They sound nice!' Flicking on the kettle, she stepped over to Harry's side. 'Can I help?'

Harry smiled over his shoulder, as he got the equipment out of the cupboard. 'Of course you can.'

Lottie happily clapped her hands, excited to be learning something she could hopefully do well in.

'Okay, so if you could measure out the ingredients into a bowl...' Harry started off, setting the weighing scales and baking bowl out on the counter, along with the ingredients. Stepping up next to her, he walked her through making the pancake batter with the chocolate chips...

* * *

 

Louis wasn't expecting to wake up to see his father stood near the window. He had been expecting his husband or his mother at the most. 'What are you doing here?' he croaked, before clearing his throat and reaching for the plastic cup of water on the tray next to him.

Mark whipped round at his sons voice. 'I came to see if you're alright.' 

Louis nodded, mindful of his head. 'I'm fine.' he said, his tone final.

Mark sighed. 'Louis, I know we haven't had the best relationship-'

'We haven't had relationship since you broke Mum's heart all them years ago. You don't do that to someone who you supposedly love!'

Mark sighed. 'Louis, me and your mum were having problems long before we decided to spilt.'

'Long before you fucked someone else in your bed and got Mum to throw you out, you mean?' Louis growled, eyeing his Dad, daring him to try and lie to him.

'Look, regardless of what happened between me and your mum, I want you to know that I want to get to know you and Lottie. I want a relationship again with my children...'

Louis snorted coldly and shook his head. 'No. You can have a relationship with Lottie, but with me... No. You hurt my mum and no one hurts my mum and thinks they can get away with still having a relationship with me. I'll be civil if you're at Mum's house, seeing Lottie. But that's it.' Louis wiped a tear away from his eye. 'Too much water under the bridge and I don't want Lottie around anything toxic.'

Mark sighed, looking at his son, nodding in understanding even though the words hurt him. Sniffling, he got himself under control. 'I'm proud of you. You know that, right?' Louis nodded. Knowing there was nothing more to be said, Mark headed for the door. He turned round and opened his mouth to speak, before closing it and leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Louis sniffled and took a deep breath, willing the tears to stay in his eyes when his phone pinged. Reaching up, he took another deep breath to calm himself down before opening the picture message from Lottie.

_Look what I made!!_

He chuckled at the selfie Lottie had taken, clearly very happy with her attempt at chocolate chip pancakes.

_Looks very yummy, darling. You can make me some when I come home. X_

Closing out of his messages, he went onto his Instagram, seeing a statement on the official one direction page, the one what Louis and Liam had drafted up late last night.

_We can confirm that Louis was admitted to hospital last night after an accident. We know you are desperate for updates and news, but that does not give you the right to hang around the hospital, where there are other sick people who need urgent care and privacy. On behalf of Johannah, Louis and us, please do NOT hang around outside the hospital. Louis needs to rest and to get better in his own time. We will give you a full statement when Louis is awake and home resting._

_With love, Liam, Niall and Harry._

 

Louis liked the post, before opening the camera and biting his lip. He pondered over whether to reveal Lottie's return now or wait until he was home. Deciding to wait until he got released, he opened up his Twitter instead and retweeted the One Direction hospital post, before composing a tweet of his own.

_Thankyou for all the get well soon messages and the trends. I love you all. Just a shame about those pesky paps outside..._

Hitting tweet, Louis felt a headache coming along, so he logged off and placed his phone back on his bedside table, before closing his eyes, drifting off lightly...

* * *

 

Niall and Liam were in the game room, which was an large old shed, that Harry and Louis had converted into a studio and games room. Screaming and shouting, they failed to hear the door opening and the younger Tomlinson step into the room. They only noticed her when she accidently tripped over a wire and yanked it out from the wall, the screen going black.

'NO!' Niall screamed, dramatically, falling to his knees. 'I was so close!' he whined, before Liam kicked him gently. Looking up, he looked at Liam, before seeing Lottie scrambling to her feet.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry!' she panicked. 'I just heard shouting and I just... I wondered what it was.'

Liam stepped forward, a soft smile on his face. 'It's okay. It's fine. Just plug it back in and it'll be fine.' he said, before turning serious. 'Are you okay?'

Lottie nodded. 'I just wondered what the shouting was. What were you playing?'

'Mario Kart.' Niall said, as he plugged the plug back into the socket. 'Fancy a game?'

Lottie frowned. 'How do you play it?'

Niall grinned and patted the sofa next to him. 'I'll teach ya.' he told her gently, loading the game back up, as Lottie sat next to him, leaving a big gap between them.

Liam smiled and dug out his phone, filming them for a few seconds before sending it off to Louis. Sitting down on the other side of Niall, he watched as Niall turned teacher for Lottie, explaining the controls and how to use them. Once she had gotten the slight hang of them, Niall set up 'Mario Circuit' for her.

'Okay. Ready? Just like I showed you...' Niall said, before selecting and picking his own character and settling back in his seat.

As the countdown began onscreen, Lottie fixed her eyes on it, before pressing down on the buttons, remembering what Niall had just taught her.

'Go on, Lots. Twice more. Twice more round the track.' Liam cheered, watching them both onscreen, knowing Niall was playing badly on purpose to boost Lottie's confidence. 'Go on. Go on. Go on!' Liam let out a big cheer when she finished. Regardless, it was eighth, but it was still good for a first-timer.

'Did I win?' Lottie asked, before she pouted and saw the answer for herself. 

'Hey, practise makes perfect.' Liam encouraged her, making her giggle. 'Fancy a game against me?'

* * *

 

Johannah, Harry and Lottie entered the ICU ward shortly after lunch. Lottie was on a high after her morning of video game learning and she couldn't wait to tell Louis. Bounding ahead of her mum and brother in law, she skipped round the corner and flung the door open, being greeted with an empty, clean, sterilised room.

Fear slammed into her chest. 'Louis...' she whispered, before she turned round and rushed back round the corner. 'Where's my brother?!' she shouted, not realising that a nurse was speaking to her mum and Harry. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she looked embarrassed. 'I'm sorry.' she whispered, as she motioned for the nurse to carry on.

'Louis was moved to a general ward about an hour ago. He had another CT scan and another MRI scan and he's showing good signs of healing already, so we moved him. Another few day and we should be able to discharge him.'

'What ward is he on?' Johannah asked, holding Harry's hand tightly.

'Ward 228.'

'Thankyou. For everything you've done for him.' Johannah said, Harry and Lottie nodding besides her before they smiled and left the ICU ward, heading for the lifts.

Entering the general ward, they quickly headed to find Louis' single room, stopping outside the door when they found a nurse in there. Knocking on the door, Louis' head poked round the nurses shoulder and shaking his head, telling them not to come in, making Harry frown.

They waited a few minutes, before the nurse stepped away and Louis gave them the okay to enter. Opening the door, Harry stepped in and raised an eyebrow slightly. 'Everything okay?' he enquired, noticing the old bandages that were round Louis' wrists had been swapped for newer ones.

Louis nodded, laughing slightly as Lottie hugged him, hopping onto the bed as she do so. 'Yeah, everything is fine.' he answered Harry, before kissing his sister's head. 'Hey, you seem extra happy. How were the pancakes?'

'They were really yummy! And I also learned how to play Mario Kart with Neil and Liam.'

'Niall.' Louis cackled as Harry gently corrected Lottie, with a laugh himself.

'Oops!'

Laying back down on the bed, Louis keep his sister close to him. 'We'll have to have a game when I get home.' he told her, before to his Mum. 'Are there any paps outside?'

Johannah nodded. 'We came in through the backway.' she told him, making him sigh. 

'I want to go outside. I'm going stir crazy staring at four walls.' 

Harry glanced Johannah, before getting to his feet. 'Come on. I passed a garden on the way up. It looked secluded.'

'How secluded?'

Harry blinked. 'Well, it was hospital walls and windows surrounding the entire thing but they'll be no paps if that's you're thinking, I promise.'

Louis thought for a minute, before nudging Lottie to sit up. 'Come on then. Show me your garden.'

* * *

Stepping outside into the little garden, Louis smiled as the fresh air hit his skin. Sitting down next to a bloomed rose bush, he tipped his head back and smiled widely, before carefully tipping his head forward and opening his arms for Lottie, who curled up on his lap.

'Can I... Can I introduce you to the fans? To the world?' Louis asked Lottie, softly, looking round and seeing they were alone, just like Harry said.

Lottie bit her nail, seemingly nervous. 'Do they know about me? Like have you ever talked about me before?'

Louis nodded. 'I've talked here and there about you. Not in great detail because it was too hard for me. But old pictures of us are scattered about on my account...'

Lottie sighed and nodded. 'Okay. Yeah, you can.'

'You sure?'

Lottie nodded. 'He's dead. He can't hurt me anymore.'

Louis beamed before fishing his phone out of his tracksuit pocket, silently thanking Liam for dropping the clothes off last night, while he was sleeping. 'Want me to take the pictures?' Harry asked, as he edged closer to them.

'Sure. Just be mindful of my stitches.'

Harry nodded and carefully accepted Louis' phone and pulled up the camera. 'Right, okay. Ready.'

'Wait...' Louis raised an eyebrow. 'You're a photographer. How do you want us?'

After snapping a few poses of them together, Harry and Johannah joined them on the bench as Louis flicked through them. 'Okay, I choose this one.' he said, lightly tapping his screen on a photo where he was sat on the top of the bench his hand resting lightly against this stitches, while Lottie was leaning her head on his knee, both of them smiling widely at each other. 'Which one do you want?' he asked Lottie softly.

'Hmmm...' She flicked through them, stopping on one where she was hugging Louis from behind, her cheek resting on his back, as they stared at the camera. 'That one!' she said, watching as Louis opened Instagram and clicked the multi photo option, choosing the two photos that they picked. Changing the effects to Lo-fi, so their eyes were more enhanced as well as their features, Louis posted, feeling giddy.

_Remember a few days ago, I tweeted something about the best present ever?? Well... Everyone, meet Charlotte Tomlinson, or Lottie, for short. I arrived home a few days ago and got the shock of my life. The last thing I expected to return home to, was my little sister dressed in my clothes standing on the stairs._

_It's been a very difficult week and a even more difficult few days, so I ask you to please respect our privacy as we continue to heal and get to grips with being a family again. When the time is right, I will make a more detailed statement, but for now, this is all I'm willing to say._

_Apart from_

_photo credit - harrytomlinson (only because he's pointedly staring at me while I type this)_

'OI!'

Lottie giggled loudly at Harry's indignant squawk of protest, watching as the numbers on Louis post hit over a hundred thousand likes and comments came flooding in. 'That's a lot of likes and comments.' she commented, watching as the number rose even more. 

Louis smiled at her, before opening the camera again and turning it to selfie mode. 'C'mon get in, mother!' Louis said, as he waited for Johannah to come into the shot. Once she did, she allowed her hair cover Louis' stitches, leaning her cheek lightly on his head, not touching, but enough to cover them. 

Snapping the photo, he smiled as he typed out a caption, filtering it black and white. 

_Family <3_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... The next chapter, A certain blonde, Geordie lass makes an appearance. And we see Louis' mental health struggle slightly!  
> Much love to you all X


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